Home > World > World

U.S. first lady refutes theory that Trump's stance on Harvard is due to alleged rejection of son

Published: 28 May. 2025, 16:46

U.S. President Donald Trump talks with his son Barron Trump as they attend an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event at Capital One Arena in Washington on Jan. 20. [AP/YONHAP]

The U.S. first lady Melania Trump dismissed online speculation suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump's recent aggressive stance against elite universities, including Harvard, was driven by their youngest son Barron’s alleged rejection from several Ivy League schools.

Speculation began circulating online in recent weeks, with widely shared posts claiming that Barron Trump had been turned down by Harvard, Standford and Columbia — institutions that Trump has recently targeted. One viral post read: “Do you know which universities rejected Barron Trump? Harvard, Stanford, Columbia. The very ones Trump is attacking.”

This theory gained traction after Senator Sheldon Whitehouse wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in April, “I wonder how many Trumps have been rejected by Harvard,” fueling speculation. Since then, posts have proliferated online alleging Barron’s rejection by Ivy League schools.

While Barron Trump’s rejection has not been confirmed, the online speculation claims Trump’s attacks are retaliatory.

“Harvard should release Barron’s application and rejection letter so the world knows why Trump is targeting them,” a X post read.

U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son Barron Trump attends the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

“Want to know the source of the Trump-Harvard feud? They rejected Barron. So did Stanford and Columbia,” read another post on X.

In response, Melania Trump’s spokesperson, Nicholas Clemens, issued a statement clarifying, “Barron never applied to Harvard,” adding, “The claim that a representative applied on his behalf is completely false.”

There is no concrete evidence supporting claims that Barron was rejected by any Ivy League school. According to multiple sources, Barron enrolled at New York University’s Stern School of Business last year.

“Barron had several options but ultimately chose NYU because he genuinely liked it,” Donald Trump stated in September 2024.

The Wall Street Journal and other local outlets noted that Barron’s choice of NYU marks a departure from the Trump family tradition of attending the University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Ivy League.

Trump has recently demanded that Harvard eliminate alleged antisemitism on campus, audit its hiring practices, release all admissions-related data and immediately end its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Harvard has publicly refused, citing the principle of academic freedom.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]