Where did Trump go to college? What to know as battle with Harvard continues
The Trump administration has attempted to block the school from enrolling international students, reportedly moved to cancel remaining federal contracts with the school, and threatened to take away the school's tax-exempt status. Trump has claimed that Harvard and other elite universities have not done enough to address what is says is rampant antisemitism on campus. As USA TODAY previously reported, the school has also long been a target of criticism from conservatives who claim the school promotes liberal ideology.
The fierce fight has led to questions about Trump's personal history with the university. The Office of the First Lady confirmed on May 27 that their 19-year-old son Barron Trump did not even apply to attend the school. Did the president?
More: No, Barron Trump was not rejected by Harvard, Melania says amid university battle
A White House spokesperson criticized USA TODAY Network questions about whether Trump applied to Harvard and answered with this statement:
"The President didn't need to apply to an overrated, corrupt institution like Harvard to become a successful businessman and the most transformative President in history," spokesperson Taylor Rogers said.
Harvard has not responded to a request for comment.
Trump has threatened to withhold funding from several universities in the U.S. if they do not follow federal directives, all under the banner of fighting antisemitism. He has alleged the institutions did not do enough to combat antisemitism during the protests against the war in Gaza, which brought allegations of both antisemitism and Islamaphobia.
Harvard rejected the administration's orders, which included ending all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, hiring an external auditor to ensure the university hosts diverse ideological viewpoints, and update admissions processes to bar students "hostile to the American values and institutions inscribed in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence."
Defying the orders has put billions of dollars worth of federal funding and Harvard's tax-exempt status at risk.
The Trump administration also recently attempted to prohibit the school from enrolling international students, which was blocked by a federal judge.
President Donald Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in May 1968 with a degree in economics.
But he didn't spend all four years at Wharton. Trump started off his college days at Fordham University in the Bronx in 1964, but transferred to Wharton two years later.
Barron Trump recently finished his freshman year at New York University's Stern School of Business. He's projected to graduate in the class of 2028.
A spokesperson for first lady Melania Trump confirmed on May 27 that Barron Trump did not apply to attend Harvard.
"Barron did not apply to Harvard, and any assertion that he, or that anyone on his behalf, applied is completely false," Nick Clemens, spokesperson for the Office of the First Lady, said in an emailed statement.
Contributing: Zachary Schermele, Jennifer Sangalang, Antonio Fins, Savannah Kuchar, Jeremy Yurow, USA TODAY Network
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Did Donald Trump apply to Harvard and get rejected? What to know
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