Trump's S.A.T.
Executive summary
No public, verifiable SAT score for Donald Trump is available; multiple reports say his former lawyer Michael Cohen produced letters alleging Trump ordered schools and the College Board threatened to block release of grades and SATs [1]. Journalists and commentators note that federal privacy law (FERPA) already prevents schools from releasing such records without permission, which limits what disclosure would legally occur [2].
1. What the record shows: no confirmed SAT score
Available reporting finds no documented SAT or ACT score for Donald Trump: news outlets say there is “little record” of his grades or test results beyond graduation dates, and tutoring sites that compile presidents’ scores list Trump as having no known score [1] [3].
2. The Cohen allegation: letters sent to schools and the College Board
Michael Cohen testified and supplied copies of letters he said were written at Trump’s direction that threatened Trump’s high schools, colleges and the College Board to prevent release of grades and SAT scores; Newsweek reported those attachments and Cohen’s claim [1]. Forbes also recounts Cohen’s allegation and frames the letters as the reason Trump feared release of academic records [2].
3. Legal reality: FERPA already restricts disclosure
Forbes emphasizes that letters purporting to threaten release were largely unnecessary because the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) already bars schools from disclosing a student’s academic records without written permission—making voluntary release to the public legally unlikely regardless of threats [2].
4. Why the absence matters politically and rhetorically
Commentators treat the absence of scores as politically useful: Trump has frequently touted his intelligence and criticized opponents’ intellect, so critics see the secrecy as protection against potential contradiction [2]. Law-focused commentary says the controversy taps into debates about privilege and public figures’ transparency about credentials [4].
5. Competing perspectives in the coverage
News outlets present Cohen’s claim as an allegation supported by documents he produced; they report it but do not assert the substance of the threatened records was ever released [1]. Forbes frames the letters as unnecessary given FERPA, implying the legal regime already sheltered Trump’s records [2]. Law.com voices irritation that the information remains hidden and connects it to larger questions about access and entitlement [4].
6. What the sources do not say
Available sources do not publish a verified SAT score, do not show that Trump’s academic records were ever disclosed publicly, and do not present contemporaneous documents from the College Board affirming a release [2] [1] [3]. They also do not provide corroboration from the schools named beyond Cohen’s produced letters [1].
7. Contextual implications and open questions
The story sits at the intersection of privacy law, political image-making and accountability. If FERPA already prohibits disclosure without consent, the practical impact of alleged warnings is unclear [2]. Key unresolved questions—whether any school considered releasing the records, what exactly the letters said beyond the threat claim, and whether the College Board responded—are not answered in current reporting [1] [2].
8. Bottom line for readers
There is no public, verifiable SAT score for Donald Trump in the cited reporting; the main source of the controversy is Michael Cohen’s allegation that Trump directed threatening letters, and commentators note FERPA already limits schools from releasing such records [1] [2]. Law commentators see the secrecy as part of broader debates about privilege and disclosure [4].