Biographer claims it's Trump who didn't get into Harvard
Trump biographer Michael Wolff has suggested that the president has turned his ire on Harvard because he didn't get into the school.
The Daily Beast reported earlier this week that there's a running joke in the White House that Donald Trump has set his sights on the Ivy League institution because his son Barron couldn't get in. But Wolff has suggested that it's Trump himself who failed to attend.
Barron's mom, First Lady Melania Trump, said her son never applied to Harvard and was not the reason for the president's apparent vendetta against the university. Barron attends New York University.
Wolff presented his theory about the president Thursday on The Daily Beast Podcast to host Joanna Coles.
'It's also odd because so many of the people around Donald Trump went to Ivy League universities. Several of them went to Harvard Business School,' Coles pointed out. 'Obviously, JD Vance proudly went to Yale. So it does seem particularly odd, but perhaps he's also trying to stuff it to them.'
'It's important not to lend too much calculation and planning to anything he does,' Wolff responded. 'But the other thing is that, by the way, he didn't get into Harvard. So one of the Trump things is always holding a grudge against the Ivy Leagues.'
Trump attended the University of Pennsylvania.
A spokesperson for the White House, Taylor Rogers, blasted the author and the outlet in a statement to The Daily Beast.
'The Daily Beast and Michael Wolff have lots in common — they both peddle fake news for clickbait in a hopeless attempt to amount to something more than lying losers,' she said. '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.'
The White House has previously referred to Wolff as a 'lying sack of s***.'
It's uncertain whether Trump ever applied to Harvard. No published biographies have claimed that he did.
Trump enrolled at Fordham University in 1964 after attending the New York Military Academy. After two years at the school, Trump transferred to the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania.
Trump's niece, Mary Trump, recorded conversations in 2018 and 2019, reported byThe Washington Post in 2020, with her aunt, the late federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry, who said on tape that she did Trump's homework for him. Trump Barry also said a friend took his college entrance exam for him.
Similarly, Mary Trump wrote in her book published in 2020 that the president paid someone to take his SATs.
'I drove him around New York City to try to get him into college,' Trump Barry said at the time. She added that Trump 'went to Fordham for one year and then he got into the University of Pennsylvania because he had somebody take the exams.'
Trump actually attended Fordham for two years. A White House spokesperson at the time said it was 'false' that someone took the SATs for the president.
Responding to The Post's report about the recordings at the time, Trump said: 'Who cares?'
Last month, the White House announced the removal of most of Harvard's federal funding after the school refused to adhere to the president's orders to shut down diversity programs at the university.
Trump has claimed that the basis for his fight with Harvard has to do with antisemitism on campus. Subsequently, on May 25, the president demanded the 'names and countries' of all international students at the school. Trump said he would find out 'how many radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country.'
Wolff said on the podcast that Trump 'needs an enemy. That's what makes the 'show' great, the Trump show. He picks fantastic enemies, actually. And Harvard, for all it represents, fits right into the Trump show.'
He has 'done what he set out to do – dominate the headlines,' Wolff added. 'What do you do? You go after Harvard, and you go after Harvard in a way that is draconian, dramatic, and existential. It's threatening Harvard on that level.'
So Harvard 'will oppose this and therefore the courts will stop this from happening. But at the same time, that becomes another aspect to the Trump show,' he argued. 'He forces them to play their part, which is to oppose him.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why ALSO Holding AG (VTX:ALSN) Could Be Worth Watching
ALSO Holding AG (VTX:ALSN), might not be a large cap stock, but it saw a decent share price growth of 20% on the SWX over the last few months. The company is inching closer to its yearly highs following the recent share price climb. As a mid-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company's outlook is already priced into the stock. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Let's take a look at ALSO Holding's outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. The share price seems sensible at the moment according to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. We've used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because there's not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stock's ratio of 29.59x is currently trading slightly below its industry peers' ratio of 29.85x, which means if you buy ALSO Holding today, you'd be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe that ALSO Holding should be trading at this level in the long run, then there's not much of an upside to gain over and above other industry peers. Furthermore, ALSO Holding's share price also seems relatively stable compared to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. This may mean it is less likely for the stock to fall lower from natural market volatility, which suggests less opportunities to buy moving forward. View our latest analysis for ALSO Holding Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let's also take a look at the company's future expectations. ALSO Holding's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 97%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value. Are you a shareholder? ALSN's optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around industry price multiples. However, there are also other important factors which we haven't considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at ALSN? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below the industry PE ratio? Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping an eye on ALSN, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the optimistic forecast is encouraging for ALSN, which means it's worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop. Diving deeper into the forecasts for ALSO Holding mentioned earlier will help you understand how analysts view the stock going forward. Luckily, you can check out what analysts are forecasting by clicking here. If you are no longer interested in ALSO Holding, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Maryland's credit downgrade can be blamed on actions in Washington, not Annapolis
Maryland maintained a AAA bond rating from Fitch and Standard & Poor's, but was downgraded to Aa1 by Moody's. (Maryland Matters file photo) In his coverage of the downgrade of Maryland's credit rating by Moody's from the coveted AAA to AA1, Bryan Sears pointed to Moody's acknowledgement of Maryland's 'wealthy and diverse economy,' solid financial planning and proactive management by officials, including slowing expenditures and raising new funds. But the report also noted that Maryland was particularly vulnerable to 'shifting Federal policies and employment' in comparison to other states with triple-A ratings: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. In plain-speak, Maryland's administration was well equipped to handle any organic financial issues arising from budgetary deficits, and/or ambitiously funded programs. But our reliance on federal jobs meant that no one could foresee or plan for such eventualities. Maryland Matters welcomes guest commentary submissions at editor@ We suggest a 750-word limit and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions. We do not accept columns that are endorsements of candidates, and no longer accept submissions from elected officials or political candidates. Opinion pieces must be signed by at least one individual using their real name. We do not accept columns signed by an organization. Commentary writers must include a short bio and a photo for their bylines. Views of writers are their own. Among all the states with a triple-A rating, Maryland's economy is the only one which is dominated by the government sector. Being a small state and adjacent to the nation's capital, Maryland's largest source of income is income tax. Almost one in 10 Maryland workers is a federal employee. The only variable NOT in control of the state administration is the employment of federal workers. It isn't hard to see the connection. Republican delegates and senators who tout Moody's warnings about Maryland's rating prior to this current federal administration taking charge are forgetting that the programs with high price tags, like the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, were hit because of the COVID-19 economy. We barely had time to come up to the surface to take a breath of air before being submerged again by this second Trump administration! The GOP needs to take a hard look at themselves, and their blind obeisance to the walking body of malfeasance they regard as their president. Here is the bottom line: Moody's downgraded Maryland's credit rating because, despite the Moore administration's best efforts, they could not fix the damage done by DOGE and their dismantling of federal government. Maryland, D.C. and Virginia have the maximum number of federal employees – both Maryland and D.C. had their ratings downgraded. Virginia is a much larger state and has other economic avenues to offset the loss of federal jobs, even though it, too, has taken a substantial hit to its economy. Blame, if it is to be assigned, lies with the Trump administration and its hatchet approach to federal infrastructure. Believe me, the damage goes far beyond a credit rating — the United States will be feeling the effects of this sabotage for decades to come. Fitch has since released its ratings on Maryland, and Standard & Poor's followed on Wednesday. Maryland continued to maintain a triple-A ratings with both firms. So let's all take a deep breath, and return to resisting the illegal and unconstitutional actions of this federal administration.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump announces new steel and aluminium tariffs in blow to global markets
Donald Trump has announced plans to double tariffs on steel imports from next week, intensifying his trade war and unsettling global markets. Addressing a rally of steel workers in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, on Friday, the US president revealed that tariffs would rise from 25% to 50%, claiming the measure "will even further secure the steel industry in the United States." Mr Trump later confirmed on Truth Social that the new tariffs, which also apply to aluminium imports, would take effect from Wednesday. He declared that American "industries are coming back like never before." "This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum (sic) workers," he wrote, adding: "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" In a separate statement, he said: "We don't want America's future to be built with shoddy steel from Shanghai - we want it built with the strength and the pride of Pittsburgh!" However, a UK government source told Sky News that Britain will remain exempt from the new tariff rates, following the signing of a US-UK trade deal earlier this month. The source highlighted this agreement as evidence of why reaching an early arrangement with the Trump administration had been critical. Under the deal, the US agreed to "promptly construct a quota at most favoured nation (MFN) rates" for British steel, aluminium and derivative products. The escalation follows Mr Trump's claim earlier that China had "totally violated" an agreement designed to mutually roll back tariffs and trade restrictions on critical minerals. "So much for being Mr Nice Guy," he wrote on his social media platform. Initially, Mr Trump imposed a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imports in March as part of an effort to protect US manufacturing and jobs, making foreign imports less appealing to domestic industries. These increased tariffs threaten to raise costs for American consumers, affecting products from cars to canned soft drinks. Trump previously warned Canada it could face tariffs of up to 50% on steel imports, prompting Ontario's provincial government to threaten to increase electricity charges by 25% to American customers. Ontario supplies electricity to more than 1.5 million US homes and businesses in Minnesota, New York, and Michigan. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney previously described the potential tariffs as an "attack" on Canadian workers, families, and businesses. Currently, roughly a quarter of steel used in the US is imported, predominantly from countries including Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, and Germany. In 2024, the US imported 6.6 million tonnes of steel from Canada and 3.5 million tonnes from Mexico. The US also heavily relies on imported aluminium, receiving 3.2 million tonnes from Canada last year.
