Betsy DeVos

Betsy DeVos
Born	Elisabeth Dee Prince (1958-01-08) January 8, 1958 Holland, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Political figure, philanthropist, government official
Years active	1982–present
Known for	11th United States Secretary of Education, advocacy for school choice and charter schools
Notable work	Chairwoman of the Windquest Group; former chair of Michigan Republican Party; board member of Foundation for Excellence in Education; chair of Alliance for School Choice and Acton Institute

Elisabeth Dee DeVos ( ; Template:Née Prince; born January 8, 1958) is an American political figure, philanthropist, and ex-government official who held the position of the 11th United States Secretary of Education from 2017 until 2021. DeVos is recognized for her conservative advocacy, especially her endorsement of school choice, school voucher initiatives, and charter school expansion. She served as the Republican national committeewoman representing Michigan between 1992 and 1997 and led the Michigan Republican Party as chair from 1996 to 2000 and again from 2003 to 2005. DeVos was a proponent of Detroit’s charter school network and contributed as a board member for the Foundation for Excellence in Education. Additionally, she chaired the boards of the Alliance for School Choice and the Acton Institute, while also heading the All Children Matter PAC.

DeVos is married to Dick DeVos, former CEO of Amway. Her brother, Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater USA, is a former officer in the U.S. Navy SEALs. Their father, billionaire industrialist Edgar Prince, established the Prince Corporation. In 2016, Forbes ranked their family as the 88th wealthiest in the United States with an estimated net worth of $5.4 billion.

On November 23, 2016, then-president-elect Donald Trump announced DeVos as his choice for Secretary of Education. Despite facing intense opposition from Democrats during her confirmation hearings, she was approved by a narrow Senate vote of 51–50 on February 7, 2017. Vice President Mike Pence cast the decisive tiebreaking vote, marking the first time a Cabinet nominee was confirmed in this manner.

DeVos tendered her resignation on January 7, 2021, following the Capitol attack on January 6, citing President Trump’s rhetoric in her resignation letter. Her departure became effective on January 8, 2021, just prior to the conclusion of Trump’s presidency.

Early life

Born Elisabeth Prince on January 8, 1958, in Holland, Michigan, she is the oldest among four siblings of Elsa (Zwiep) Prince (later Broekhuizen) and Edgar Prince, a billionaire industrialist who founded Prince Corporation, an automotive parts manufacturer headquartered in Holland. She descends from Dutch heritage.

DeVos attended Holland Christian High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business economics from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1979. While at college, she was active in campus political activities, volunteered on Gerald Ford's presidential campaign, and took part in the youth program at the 1976 Republican National Convention.

Raised within the Christian Reformed Church in North America, DeVos has been a member and served as an elder at Mars Hill Bible Church located in Grand Rapids. Influenced by Dutch neo-Calvinist theologian Abraham Kuyper, who played a significant role in shaping Christian Democracy political thought, she partnered with former Fuller Seminary president Richard Mouw on a committee.

Political activity

Since 1982, DeVos has maintained an active role within the Michigan Republican Party, holding the position of local precinct delegate for sixteen successive two-year terms beginning in 1986. Between 1992 and 1997, she served as Michigan’s Republican National committeewoman and led the Michigan Republican Party as chair from 1996 until 2000. In 2004, the Lansing State Journal characterized her as a steadfast political adversary of Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm.

Bill Ballenger, editor of Inside Michigan Politics, described DeVos as "an effective behind-the-scenes organizer and fundraiser" and "a dedicated advocate for fundamental Republican principles." She stepped down from her role as party chair in 2000, emphasizing that she had never functioned as a "rubber stamp" but rather as a champion for grassroots initiatives. She was re-elected to the party chair position without opposition in 2003.

Political fundraising

DeVos personally raised more than $150,000 for President Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign and hosted a Republican fundraising event at her residence in October 2008, which featured President George W. Bush. During the Bush administration, she held the position of finance chair for the National Republican Senatorial Committee for two years and collaborated on various initiatives with the administration. The DeVos family has been prominent Republican contributors for many years, donating over $17 million to candidates and political committees since 1989.

Opposition to limits on political spending

Like other members of her family, Betsy DeVos has been a vocal opponent of government-imposed restrictions on political donations and expenditures. Although a significant portion of Americans support limits aimed at curbing the influence of wealthy donors, DeVos and many conservatives argue that such restrictions violate free speech rights. In a 1997 op-ed published in Roll Call, she defended unrestricted "soft money" contributions by comparing government-imposed limits to Orwellian Big Brother surveillance. As a founding board member of the James Madison Center for Free Speech—an organization funded by the DeVos family—she has worked to remove legal barriers on political funding.

DeVos has openly stated that she expects concrete outcomes from her financial support. She acknowledged that her family, recognized as the largest individual soft-money donor to the national Republican Party, accepts allegations of purchasing influence. However, she stressed their intention to advance a conservative agenda focused on limited government and traditional values, anticipating that the Republican Party would utilize these resources to promote such policies and secure electoral victories.

2016 U.S. presidential election

Throughout the 2016 Republican primary season, DeVos initially endorsed Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina before shifting her support to Marco Rubio. By March 2016, she publicly labeled Donald Trump an "interloper" who did not embody the core values of the Republican Party.

Business career

DeVos serves as chairwoman of the Windquest Group, a private operating entity founded by her and her husband in 1989 that invests in sectors including technology, manufacturing, and clean energy. The DeVos family invested $100 million in blood-testing company Theranos, becoming among its largest investors and experiencing significant losses.

In 2012, DeVos and her husband produced a Broadway production titled Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson, based on the evangelist’s story with book and lyrics by Kathie Lee Gifford. The show ran for three weeks before closing due to unfavorable reviews.

Neurocore

Betsy and Dick DeVos serve as principal investors and board members of Neurocore, a chain of brain performance centers that provide biofeedback therapy aimed at addressing conditions such as depression, ADHD, autism, and anxiety. Their therapeutic approach involves using interrupted movie viewing to help recondition brain activity. Nevertheless, medical professionals and various reviews have raised doubts about the validity of the company's claims and its treatment techniques.

During DeVos's nomination for U.S. Secretary of Education, concerns about potential conflicts of interest surfaced, leading her to resign from Neurocore’s board while maintaining an equity stake estimated between $5 million and $25 million. In 2019, the organization Truth In Advertising lodged complaints against Neurocore with the FDA concerning unapproved medical devices and with the FTC over allegedly misleading marketing practices targeting vulnerable groups suffering from psychiatric or age-related issues.

Nomination

On November 23, 2016, the transition team for President-elect Trump announced DeVos as the nominee for Secretary of Education. DeVos expressed that she was "honored to collaborate with the President-elect on his mission to revitalize American education," while criticizing the prevailing status quo in the education system. Her nomination sparked backlash from teachers' unions but received support from proponents of school choice.

Stephen Henderson, editor of the Detroit Free Press, questioned her qualifications, highlighting that she lacked experience as an educator or education administrator. Critics including Rebecca Mead from The New Yorker scrutinized Michigan's charter school system—which DeVos advocates—casting doubt on its success. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten described her as "the most ideologically driven, anti-public education nominee" ever considered for a cabinet position. Opposition also came from the Michigan ACLU and Democratic Party.

On the other hand, former presidential contenders Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney lauded DeVos as an "excellent choice" and a "wise selection," respectively. Republican Senator Ben Sasse praised her career dedicated to championing disadvantaged children against entrenched special interests. An editorial in the Chicago Tribune applauded her leadership in advancing educational opportunities through school choice programs.

Confirmation hearing

Originally scheduled for January 10, 2017, DeVos’s confirmation hearing was postponed by one week after the Office of Government Ethics requested additional time to examine her financial disclosures. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions convened on January 17 for a three-and-a-half-hour session characterized by intense partisan exchanges. Senators from the Democratic side scrutinized her wealth, family political contributions to Republican causes, and lack of personal experience with financial aid or student loans. Media coverage highlighted allegations that DeVos had plagiarized statements from an Obama administration official in her written responses submitted to the Senate.

DeVos also attracted widespread media attention after suggesting that firearms might be necessary in certain schools due to threats posed by grizzly bears—a remark that late-night talk show hosts widely ridiculed. Prior to her confirmation vote, tens of thousands of constituents contacted senators opposing her nomination. Additionally, over 300 predominantly Democratic state legislators sent a letter opposing her appointment just before the Senate vote. Despite this opposition, DeVos secured backing from 18 Republican governors—including John Kasich and Rick Snyder—as well as all nine Republican members of Congress representing Michigan.

Deliberation and final confirmation vote

On January 31, the Senate committee endorsed DeVos's nomination with a 12–11 vote strictly along party lines, advancing it to the full Senate. The following day, February 1, two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, reversed their earlier committee support by opposing the confirmation. This shift resulted in a 50–50 deadlock should all Democrats and independents vote against her, necessitating Vice President Mike Pence to cast the deciding vote.

Cloture was successfully invoked on February 3 after a 6:30 a.m. vote, paving the way for a final confirmation after 30 hours of debate.

Before the concluding vote on February 7, Senate Democrats organized an overnight protest opposing DeVos's nomination. The final tally ended in a 50–50 split: opposition came from all Democrats and independents plus Collins and Murkowski, while 50 Republicans voted in favor. Notably, Senator Jeff Sessions, whose attorney general confirmation was scheduled subsequent to DeVos’s to enable his participation in her vote, supported her. Had Sessions’s confirmation occurred earlier, he would have resigned his Senate seat beforehand, depriving Republicans of a critical vote.

Vice President Pence exercised the constitutional tie-breaking authority to confirm DeVos as education secretary, marking the first vice presidential tie-break since the George W. Bush era.

Personnel

DeVos initially voiced apprehensions that certain Education Department staff harbored loyalties to the Obama administration and might undermine the department’s objectives. She committed to prompt measures addressing these concerns.

In April 2017, she endorsed President Trump’s nomination of Carlos G. Muñiz for general counsel and appointed Candice Jackson as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office for Civil Rights, serving as acting assistant secretary pending Senate approval. Jason Botel was designated Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education; Botel, a registered Democrat and former Obama supporter, had founded Baltimore’s KIPP Ujima Village Academy after his tenure with Teach For America.

By mid-2018, under DeVos’s leadership, the enforcement team handling investigations into for-profit college abuses was downsized from approximately twelve members to three, concentrating primarily on student loan forgiveness and minor compliance issues. Julian Schmoke, formerly dean at DeVry Education Group—one of the scrutinized institutions—was appointed as supervisor. Investigations into DeVry, Bridgepoint Education, and Career Education Corporation were discontinued. The department also recruited multiple former employees and associates of these organizations, including senior counselor Robert S. Eitel, advisor Diane Auer Jones, and general counsel Carlos G. Muñiz.

In October 2018, DeVos replaced her chief of staff Josh Venable with Nate Bailey, who had been serving as her chief of communications. Two years later, Venable became affiliated with the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform (REPAIR), an anti-Trump group led by former White House personnel.

School choice and private education

In February 2017, DeVos referred to historically black colleges as "true pioneers in school choice," a statement that generated debate given their establishment during segregation. She subsequently recognized the impact of racism in their historical context.

On March 24, 2017, while visiting Valencia College in Osceola County, Florida, DeVos proposed expanding federal aid to support students attending year-round and placing greater emphasis on community colleges.

DeVos presented her inaugural major policy speech on March 29, 2017, at the Brookings Institution, where she highlighted school choice—a topic she has championed for more than three decades. She criticized the Obama administration’s $7 billion increase in funding for underperforming schools as an ineffective "throwing money at the problem." On May 22, 2017, she unveiled the Trump administration’s intention to implement the "most ambitious expansion" of school choice ever seen in the United States, referencing Indiana’s extensive school voucher program as a possible example, though without providing specific policy details.

During a House committee hearing in May 2017, Representative Katherine Clark questioned DeVos about private schools accepting vouchers while allegedly discriminating against LGBTQ students or minorities. DeVos responded by underscoring states’ discretion in overseeing such programs despite existing federal civil rights protections.

In a March 2018 interview on 60 Minutes, CBS journalist Lesley Stahl pressed DeVos on the absence of evidence supporting improvements in Michigan’s public schools under her policies. DeVos pointed to limited "pockets" of progress but did not offer detailed examples.

On June 6, 2017, before a House appropriations panel, DeVos affirmed that states’ rights would dictate how federal funds are allocated to private schools, while emphasizing that all federally supported schools must adhere to federal laws.

Student loan policies

On April 11, 2017, DeVos rescinded several Obama-era directives designed to protect borrowers of student loans.

On July 6, 2017, a coalition of Democratic attorneys general from 18 states and Washington, D.C., led by Massachusetts AG Maura Healey, initiated a federal lawsuit against DeVos for halting regulations aimed at safeguarding students enrolled in for-profit colleges that were scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2017.

On September 12, 2018, DeVos was defeated in court by 19 states and D.C. in a suit accusing the Department of Education of unlawfully postponing rules intended to protect student loan borrowers from exploitative practices.

Response to the coronavirus pandemic

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, DeVos redirected millions in CARES Act relief funds away from public schools toward private and religious institutions.

She pushed for schools to reopen despite rising COVID-19 infections and suggested that the Trump administration might withhold funding from public schools unless they provided full-time in-person instruction. On July 12, 2020, she asserted that "there's nothing in the data that suggests that kids being in school is in any way dangerous to them," a claim contested by health experts. Additionally, DeVos chose not to endorse the CDC’s reopening guidelines for schools.

Additional Actions

On June 2, 2017, DeVos endorsed President Trump's choice to exit the Paris Agreement.

On July 13, 2017, Candice Jackson, a survivor of sexual assault, facilitated a discussion involving DeVos, victims, accused parties, and officials from higher education to reassess campus sexual assault policies established during the Obama administration. DeVos voiced her concern regarding men who might be wrongfully accused and stressed the importance of due process. Nevertheless, numerous survivors and advocacy organizations opposed her proposed changes, cautioning that they might undermine safety on campuses.

In October 2017, DeVos rescinded 72 guidance documents issued by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services that outlined the rights of students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

In January 2018, citing an American Federation of Teachers (AFT) survey indicating that 60% of educators felt restricted in shaping classroom curriculum, DeVos highlighted concerns about teacher autonomy. The AFT responded by stating that 86% of teachers surveyed felt disrespected by her leadership.

In March 2018, DeVos established a School Safety Commission composed of four Cabinet members tasked with formulating practical safety recommendations. The commission engaged in meetings with survivors and families affected by school shootings.

By May 2018, DeVos declared that decisions to report undocumented students or their relatives to ICE rested with individual schools. This position attracted legal criticism because the Supreme Court's Plyler v. Doe decision guarantees education regardless of immigration status, and the American Civil Liberties Union labeled such reporting unconstitutional.

In 2019, DeVos attempted but failed to eliminate federal funding for the Special Olympics, continuing efforts initiated in earlier budget proposals.

Demonstrations and Protection

Throughout her tenure, DeVos remained a polarizing figure. During her inaugural official visit as Secretary on February 10, 2017, protesters obstructed her entry into Jefferson Academy, a public middle school in D.C., compelling her to use an alternative entrance.

Subsequently, the U.S. Marshals Service took over security responsibilities from Education Department personnel. Officials declined to provide specifics regarding the marshals' deployment or the reassignment of previous security staff, many of whom were seasoned agents. Former Secretary Arne Duncan criticized this shift as an unnecessary expenditure of taxpayer funds.

During her initial visit to a public university on April 6, 2017—Florida International University—DeVos encountered around 30 protesters while touring a hospital ward simulation. Following this event, the U.S. Marshals Service announced an enhanced security detail for DeVos, with anticipated costs totaling $7.8 million between February and September 2017.

On May 10, 2017, DeVos addressed graduates at Bethune–Cookman University, a historically black college where most attendees expressed disapproval by booing and turning their backs. Despite this reaction, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the institution.

Legal Concerns

DeVos's 2018 financial disclosure, verified by the Office of Government Ethics on December 3, 2018, revealed that nearly 22 months after her February 2017 confirmation, she had not yet relinquished twenty-four assets mandated by her signed ethics agreement.

In May 2019, the inspector general of the Education Department disclosed that DeVos conducted official government business through personal email accounts and failed to adequately archive these communications.

In September 2020, the United States Office of Special Counsel launched an inquiry into DeVos for possible breaches of the Hatch Act of 1939 after she appeared on Fox News during the 2020 electoral campaign, criticizing Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Subsequent to her interview, the Department of Education actively promoted the broadcast segment.

Departure

On January 7, 2021, DeVos stepped down from her role as Secretary of Education in the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riots. In her resignation letter to President Trump, she expressed that the events had overshadowed his administration’s achievements. She was preceded in resignation by Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao following the same incident. Senator Elizabeth Warren later condemned DeVos on Twitter, labeling her the worst Education Secretary and alleging her resignation was an attempt to avoid invoking the Twenty-fifth Amendment.

The Prince Foundation

Although DeVos was long identified as vice president of the Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation, she testified under oath that she did not participate in its funding decisions regarding conservative advocacy organizations like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council.

Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation

Established in 1989, the Dick & Betsy DeVos Family Foundation dedicates itself to leadership development, transformative initiatives, and support across education, community services, arts, justice, and leadership sectors. In 2015 alone, it contributed $11.6 million, pushing its total lifetime donations to $139 million. Forbes placed the DeVos family at No. 24 in its 2015 ranking of America’s top philanthropists.

The foundation’s funding encompasses hospitals, health research centers, arts institutions, Christian educational establishments, evangelical missions, and conservative free-market policy think tanks. Between 1999 and 2014, about half of its $100 million in grants were directed toward Christian groups such as Michigan's Foundation for Traditional Values, Center for Individual Rights, Acton Institute, Institute for Justice, Pregnancy Resource Center, Right to Life Michigan Educational Fund, and Baptists for Life.

From 1999 through 2014, educational grants included $8.6 million allocated to private Christian schools and $5.2 million to charter schools, with smaller contributions made to public school initiatives. Significant donations featured $2.39 million to Grand Rapids Christian High School Association along with notable support for Ada Christian School and Holland Christian Schools.

In 2016, over $14.3 million was granted by the foundation to more than one hundred organizations including X Prize Foundation, Mars Hill Bible Church, and American Enterprise Institute.

At the time of her appointment as Education Secretary, DeVos served as an elder at Mars Hill Bible Church. Between 2002 and 2004, she reportedly contributed over $431,000 to this church as well as $453,349 to Flannel, the producer behind the NOOMA video series.

Acton Institute and All Children Matter

DeVos has held various leadership positions at the Acton Institute, including chairperson, board member, and treasurer. Additionally, she took a leading role in managing the All Children Matter political action committee.

Kennedy Center

Appointed by President George W. Bush, DeVos served on the board of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from 2004 until 2010. During her tenure, she and her husband contributed funding to establish a center dedicated to training arts managers and boards in fundraising and organizational management. Their $22.5 million gift in 2010 created the DeVos Institute of Arts Management, marking the largest private donation in the Kennedy Center’s history.

This contribution was intended to fill a critical need identified by Kennedy Center executive Michael Kaiser: while artists and arts programs often receive substantial funding, leadership development for those overseeing arts organizations was insufficient. The DeVoses aimed to invest in cultivating leadership talent within the arts sector, allocating part of their funding to support Michigan arts organizations affected by the economic downturn.

ArtPrize

Rick DeVos, Betsy DeVos’s son, launched ArtPrize in 2009, an international art competition based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. By 2016, approximately 16 percent of ArtPrize’s $3.5 million yearly budget originated from DeVos family foundations, with the balance coming from other philanthropic foundations as well as local and national corporate sponsors.

Education activism

Betsy and Dick DeVos annually award scholarships to students attending Northwood University. She formerly served on the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), an education policy organization founded by Jeb Bush and chaired since 2015 by former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The foundation has received financial support from notable donors such as Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, and Eli Broad.

Christian motivation

In 2001, DeVos characterized her involvement in education reform as a means to "advance God's Kingdom," highlighting her belief that transforming education could produce profound spiritual outcomes over time.

School choice

DeVos champions expanding access to charter schools and increasing opportunities for families to attend private schools through voucher programs and similar financial aid initiatives. She views the existing education system as "a closed market" and supports opening it up to provide parents with more options—a position critics contend is aimed at the privatize public education system in America.

School vouchers

DeVos is a leading advocate for school vouchers, which allow public funds to be used for private school tuition. According to The New York Times, few individuals exhibit as much enthusiasm as DeVos for redirecting public education dollars away from traditional public schools.

She has chaired the board of the Alliance for School Choice and led the All Children Matter PAC, established with her husband in 2003 to promote vouchers, tax credits for private school scholarships, and supportive political candidates. The DeVoses contributed millions of dollars to this PAC. In 2008, All Children Matter was fined $5.2 million by Ohio authorities for illegal campaign finance violations; however, DeVos herself was not personally implicated. As of 2017, this fine remained unsettled, prompting calls from Democratic lawmakers for resolution.

DeVos has held board positions with organizations such as Advocates for School Choice, American Education Reform Council, and Education Freedom Fund. She also chaired Choices for Children and the Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP). Furthermore, she led the American Federation for Children (AFC), a nationwide advocacy group promoting school choice initiatives focused on vouchers and scholarship tax credit programs.

During the 1990s, DeVos served on boards supporting expanded school choice through vouchers and tax credits. She and her husband were instrumental in passing Michigan’s initial charter school legislation in 1993 and spearheaded efforts in 2000 to amend Michigan’s constitution to permit tax-credit scholarships or vouchers—an attempt that ultimately failed. Following this setback, she founded GLEP to advocate for charter schools. Her husband, alongside John Walton, established All Children Matter, which she chaired.

Detroit charter school system

DeVos has been a prominent proponent of Detroit's charter school network. In a 2016 op-ed for The New York Times, Tulane University economics professor Douglas N. Harris condemned the system as "the largest failure in school reform nationwide." Detroit ranked at the bottom in both reading and math among cities assessed by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Harris contended that DeVos implemented a framework with insufficient regulation, enabling low-performing schools to continue admitting students.

Conversely, Ramesh Ponnuru writing for National Review challenged Harris’s conclusions, highlighting that 47% of Detroit charter schools surpassed traditional public schools in reading, and 49% did so in math, with only a minority performing poorly. Likewise, education policy analyst Jay P. Greene from the University of Arkansas defended DeVos’s approach, pointing out that Detroit has shuttered more failing charter schools than Louisiana, which Harris cited as an example.

During her confirmation hearing, Senator Patty Murray questioned DeVos regarding the underwhelming results of some charter schools. DeVos responded by noting that some charters boast graduation rates above 90%, though these claims were disputed by Columbia University professor Aaron Pallas and Education Week journalist Ben Herold, who reported actual graduation rates closer to half that figure.

Personal life

The DeVos family is among the most affluent in Michigan. Betsy DeVos’s spouse, Richard Marvin "Dick" DeVos Jr., is a billionaire heir to the Amway empire and served as CEO of Amway’s parent company, Alticor, from 1993 through 2002. Dick DeVos is a major contributor to conservative political causes and was the Republican candidate for Governor of Michigan in 2006. His father, Richard Marvin DeVos Sr., co-founded Amway and previously owned the Orlando Magic NBA franchise. In 2016, Forbes estimated Richard DeVos’s net worth at $5.1 billion, ranking him as the 88th richest individual in the United States.

Dick and Betsy wed in 1979 and have four children: Rick, Elissa, Andrea, and Ryan. Rick serves as an urban development consultant with the Windquest Group and is the founder of Grand Rapids’ ArtPrize art competition.

Betsy DeVos’s brother, Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL, established Blackwater USA, a private military contracting firm.

Cultural depictions

In February 2017, artist Glenn McCoy produced a political cartoon entitled Trying to Trash Betsy DeVos, drawing inspiration from Norman Rockwell’s painting The Problem We All Live With. That same month, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon lampooned the Education Department’s Twitter errors with Jo Firestone impersonating DeVos.

DeVos has been repeatedly portrayed by Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live, including a parody of her March 2018 interview on 60 Minutes. Around this time, comedian Randy Rainbow released a satirical "interview" based on that segment, which Out described as unfolding "about as well as you might anticipate."

On the March 21, 2019 episode of RuPaul's Drag Race (season 11), drag performer Scarlet Envy caricatured DeVos as a "silly," "martini-drinking" figure during the episode titled "Trump: The Rusical." In season fourteen of the show, drag queen Jasmine Kennedie impersonated DeVos during the celebrity impersonation challenge known as Snatch Game.

See also

• List of female United States Cabinet members

Further reading

• Economic Challenges Facing Granholm, The Associated Press, July 10, 2006
• The DeVos Family's Campaign to Reform Public Education through Vouchers, Metro Times, February 23, 2000

External links

• Biography of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos
• Official site
• C-SPAN appearances