Donald Trump's prolonged discord with Harvard University reportedly stems not from his son Barron's alleged rejection, but rather from Trump's own unsuccessful attempt to gain admission in 1964. According to biographical accounts, Trump holds a lingering grudge against Ivy League institutions due to this rejection.
During a podcast discussion, author Michael Wolff highlighted this aspect of Trump’s relationship with Harvard, suggesting that the president’s disdain originated from personal experience rather than hearsay. However, White House representatives have strongly dismissed these claims, criticizing the allegations as attempts to generate misleading narratives.
No official or public records confirm that Trump applied to Harvard in the 1960s. His early aspirations leaned toward attending film school at the University of Southern California, an ambition unfulfilled as he instead graduated from the New York Military Academy in high school.
Following high school, Trump attended Fordham University for two years, commuting from his family home in Queens to the Bronx campus. This choice aligned more realistically with his emerging career interests compared to his youthful Hollywood ambitions.
In recent developments, the Trump administration has intensified scrutiny on Harvard. Actions include freezing $2.2 billion in federal funding and halting the university's capacity to enroll international students. These measures are linked to Harvard's perceived failure to address reported antisemitic incidents adequately and to provide required information about foreign students to federal authorities.
The rising tensions between Trump and Harvard underscore a broader conflict involving educational institutions, federal oversight, and political influence, reflecting complex dynamics in higher education governance.
