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Are there official records or biographies that state Donald Trump's GPA at Fordham University?
Executive summary
There are no official, public records or biographies in the provided sources that state Donald Trump’s GPA at Fordham University; an image claiming a 1.28 GPA has been identified as a forgery and Fordham has refused to release student records, citing privacy laws [1] [2]. Michael Cohen testified that Trump directed legal threats to keep grades and test scores private, and Fordham confirmed being contacted about not disclosing them [3].
1. No verified transcript or biography in current reporting states a Fordham GPA
Reporting and fact-checking pieces examined by this briefing find no authenticated transcript, official Fordham release, or reputable biography that publishes Donald Trump’s GPA from his two years at Fordham. Fact-checkers at Snopes and Reuters examined circulating images purporting to be Fordham report cards and concluded there is no evidence those images are authentic [1] [4]. AOL’s fact-check coverage likewise reports Fordham called the circulated report-card image a forgery and reminded the public the university follows federal privacy protections for student records [2].
2. A widely shared “1.28 GPA” image has been debunked as a fake
An image claiming Trump posted a 1.28 overall GPA has circulated repeatedly online; Snopes labels that report-card image a forgery and Fordham’s spokesman told reporters the image is not an actual Fordham transcript [1]. AOL and other outlets report the same conclusion: Fordham publicly stated the image was fabricated and that the university respects student-record privacy laws [2]. Reuters’ fact-check likewise found no evidence that the viral image is authentic [4].
3. Fordham and others say they won’t — and legally can’t — disclose student records publicly
Fordham University told fact-checkers and reporters it follows federal privacy law (FERPA) regarding student academic records and has identified the viral image as inauthentic; that institutional stance explains why authenticated transcript details have not been released into the public record [1] [2]. The available coverage does not include any Fordham-sanctioned GPA figure for Trump [1].
4. Michael Cohen’s congressional testimony confirms efforts to block disclosure
In 2019 Michael Cohen testified that, on Trump’s direction, he sent letters warning Fordham and other schools not to release grades or standardized-test scores during the 2016 campaign. PBS NewsHour reported Fordham confirmed that someone from Trump’s team contacted the university seeking assurance records would not be disclosed; Cohen provided a 2015 letter to Fordham as part of his testimony [3]. That episode is the closest contemporaneous reporting to documented attempts to keep academic records private [3].
5. Public biographies mention attendance but not GPA
Profiles of Trump’s early life and education note he attended Fordham for two years before transferring to Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a B.S. in economics — but those profiles do not provide a Fordham GPA [5]. Wikipedia and other biographical summaries document his enrollment and transfer, but they do not supply a verified grade-point average for the Fordham years [5]. Available reporting does not mention any authoritative biography that publishes a Fordham GPA.
6. Why this question persists — motives, gaps, and information limits
The persistence of the GPA claim reflects both partisan incentives to highlight or discredit academic credentials and the information gap created by FERPA-style privacy and by Trump’s own reluctance to release academic records publicly. Fact-check outlets flagged a viral image that fits a politically useful narrative (a very low GPA), but their work and university statements show the image is forged and the institution declines to make records public [1] [2] [4]. Michael Cohen’s testimony about legal threats provides context for why transcripts haven’t entered the public domain [3].
7. Bottom line and caveats
There are no authoritative, publicly available records or biographies in the cited reporting that state Donald Trump’s GPA at Fordham University; the commonly circulated “1.28 GPA” transcript image has been called a forgery by Fordham and debunked by multiple fact-checkers [1] [4] [2]. If you seek a verified GPA, current reporting indicates Fordham will not release it publicly and no reputable source has published such a figure [1] [3]. Available sources do not mention any other documents or disclosures that confirm a Fordham GPA.