Biographer Uncovers The ‘Real Reason’ Donald Trump Feels Bitter Toward Harvard

Donald Trump biographer Michael Wolff claims the president holds a long-standing grudge against Harvard University—not because his son was rejected, but because he was.

Earlier this week, First Lady Melania Trump was forced to dismiss claims that her son, Barron Trump, was rejected by Harvard University.

It came amid online rumors that Trump’s recent efforts to slash millions in federal funding for Harvard were in response to his son being denied admission.

A spokesperson for Melania told People: “Barron did not apply to Harvard, and any assertion that he, or that anyone on his behalf, applied is completely false.”

Now Wolff, who has authored several books on Trump, has told The Daily Beast podcast that Trump had his own personal reasons for going after Harvard.

“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,” podcast host Joanna Coles said.

“Obviously, JD Vance proudly went to Yale. So it does seem particularly odd, but perhaps he’s also trying to stuff it to them too.”

“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.”

In a statement to the publication, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers described both Wolff and the Daily Beast as “lying losers.”

“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.”

It is not publicly known if Trump, who attended the University of Pennsylvania, ever applied to Harvard.

He began his college education at Fordham University in the Bronx, which he attended for two years before transferring to the Wharton School in Pennsylvania.

While there, he earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1968.

In recent months, Trump has repeatedly targeted Harvard, freezing or canceling almost $3 billion in research funding for the Ivy League and threatening its tax- exempt status.

He has also demanded the names of all foreign students who are enrolled at the university.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to the university last week, accusing it of fostering antisemitism and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on campus.

Noem banned Harvard from enrolling international students, which in turn meant that current students on non-immigrant visas would need to transfer to another university.

She said the decision was based on the fact that Harvard had refused to hand over disciplinary records related to international students.

Harvard has maintained that it responded to the department’s request as required by law and filed for a temporary restraining order.

A judge has granted an extension of the order, meaning that, for now, Harvard can continue to enroll international students.

Trump has also been attacking Harvard over its DEI programs, claiming they hurt fairness and lower academic standards.

Harvard has defended its DEI policies and has refused to back down to Trump.

The saga has led to other universities caving to Trump’s demands, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) closing its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office amid his ongoing battle with Harvard.

Wolff said that Trump “needs an enemy” to help create the drama he loves so much, and Harvard fits the bill.

“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,” Wolff said on the podcast.

“He’s done what he set out to do,” he added. “Dominate the headlines. 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.”

Although Harvard is vigorously defending itself in court, this appears to be part of Trump’s ongoing strategy to keep himself in the public eye, Wolff claimed.

“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 said. “He forces them to play their part, which is to oppose him.”