- Trumpโs feud with Harvard may be rooted in personal rejection, as he reportedly never got accepted into the Ivy League school.
- Michael Wolff claims Trump holds a grudge against elite universities despite many allies having Ivy League ties.
- Trumpโs actions against Harvard help him stay in the spotlight by creating dramatic conflicts with powerful institutions.
Donald Trump has waged a public war against Harvard. Many people joke that heโs angry because his son Barron didnโt get accepted. Even inside the White House, this theory circulates. But Melania Trump shut it down. She rarely speaks publicly about personal matters, but she strongly denied this claim. According to Michael Wolff, the real reason runs deeper. Trumpโs problem with Harvard started long before his children applied. Wolff believes Trump resents the Ivy League because he didnโt make it in himself.
Ivy League Degrees Surround TrumpโBut Not His Own
Wolff talked about Trumpโs grudge during an episode of The Daily Beast Podcast. Host Joanna Coles pointed out that many people close to Trump attended elite schools. JD Vance went to Yale. Some advisers went to Harvard Business School. Even Trumpโs daughter Ivanka once took classes at Penn. But Wolff reminded listeners that Trump never went to Harvard or any other Ivy League schoolโat least not at first. He started at Fordham University and transferred later. Wolff said Trump still carries that rejection inside him. He holds grudges, and Harvard is high on his list.
Trumpโs Team Slams Wolff, Defends the Presidentโs Record
Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, didnโt like Wolffโs comments. She refused to say whether Trump ever applied to Harvard. Instead, she attacked both Wolff and The Daily Beast, calling them โfake news.โ She said Trump didnโt need Harvard to succeed. In her words, Trump became a billionaire businessman and a โtransformative presidentโ without attending elite schools. The White House has insulted Wolff before. They once called him a โlying sack of sโt.โ Wolff just laughed and continued writing.
No One Can Confirm If Trump Applied to Harvard
So far, no public records show Trump ever applied to Harvard. His school transcripts remain secret. Michael Cohen, Trumpโs former lawyer, even threatened Fordham University to keep them hidden before the 2016 election. Biographers never found evidence of a Harvard application. But Trumpโs deep dislike for elite schools suggests something personal. Harvard and other top universities represent the very world that Trump often criticizes.
Trump Wanted to Make Movies, Not Study Business
As a boy, Trump wanted to attend film school at the University of Southern California. That dream didnโt come true. Instead, he went to the New York Military Academy and later enrolled at Fordham University. He started there in 1964 and lived at home in Queens. His sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, said he chose Fordham because they accepted him when other schools wouldnโt. His grades at Fordham were average. He never made the deanโs list, which only required a GPA of 3.5.
Trump Got Into Wharton After His Brother Pulled Strings
After two years at Fordham, Trump wanted to transfer. His older brother Fred helped him. Fred asked his friend Jim Nolan, who worked in admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, to help. Nolan agreed and gave Trump an interview. He later said Trump and his father were polite but fake. Nolan said Trumpโs grades were โsufficient,โ but not great. At the time, Wharton accepted 30 to 40 percent of applicants. It wasnโt as elite as it is now. Trump graduated from Wharton in 1968 with a degree in economics.
Trumpโs Family Has Ivy League Connections
Even if Trump didnโt attend Harvard, his family members did. Don Jr. and Eric Trump both went to the University of Pennsylvania. Jared Kushner, Trumpโs son-in-law, went to Harvard. Many believe Jared got in because his father donated $2.5 million to the school. Journalist Daniel Golden wrote about it in The Price of Admission. He said people at Jaredโs high school didnโt think his grades or SAT scores were high enough for Harvard.
Trumpโs Attacks on Harvard Have Real Consequences
In recent months, Trump has increased pressure on Harvard. In April, his administration cut major funding to the university. He accused Harvard of refusing to follow his policies. Harvard wouldnโt change its programs, so Trump punished them financially. This battle is part of his larger fight against Ivy League schools. He also forced Columbia University to adjust its staff, curriculum, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs. He blames elite schools for spreading ideas he opposes.
Trump Demands Student Info From Harvard
Trumpโs attacks didnโt stop with money. On May 25, he posted on Truth Social. He demanded that Harvard release the names and countries of all international students. He called them โradicalized lunaticsโ and โtroublemakers.โ Trump said he wants to keep them out of the country if they pose a threat. He promised the government would win this battle. These demands shocked many legal experts. Some expect Harvard to fight back in court.
Trump Uses Conflict With Harvard as Political Fuel
Michael Wolff thinks Trump picks public enemies on purpose. Harvard fits that role perfectly. Trump knows the school represents power, privilege, and elite values. He turns that into drama. Wolff said Trump always needs an enemy. Thatโs how he keeps the spotlight. Trump doesnโt mind if Harvard pushes back. In fact, he likes it. It gives him more attention. He forces these institutions to fight, and that keeps him in the news.
The Trump Show Never EndsโHarvard Is Just the Latest Target
For Trump, politics is like a TV show. He builds the drama, picks a villain, and creates headlines. Harvard, with its reputation and power, plays the perfect villain. Wolff says this is all part of Trumpโs strategy. He said Trump dominates the headlines on purpose. He creates conflict, watches the reaction, and stays in control. Even when the courts or schools resist him, Trump wins by staying at the center of attention.
