Fact check: Did Trump ever publicly claim he was accepted to Harvard University?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, there is no evidence that Donald Trump ever publicly claimed he was accepted to Harvard University. In fact, Trump has consistently and explicitly denied even applying to Harvard, stating "I never applied to Harvard. I graduated from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania" ^{[1] [2]}. These denials were made in response to claims by author Michael Wolff who suggested Trump "didn't get into Harvard" ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements need to be considered:

• A fake Harvard rejection letter circulated on social media as an April Fool's Day joke in 2016 ^[3]
• There has been broader conflict between Trump and Harvard University involving:
• Federal funding
• Student visa programs
• Campus protests ^[4]
• Recent social media rumors suggested Trump's criticism of Harvard was related to his son Barron's rejection, but there's no evidence of this. Barron actually attended NYU's Stern School of Business after graduating from Oxbridge Academy in 2024 ^[5]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself may stem from several sources of misinformation:

• Michael Wolff's unsubstantiated claims about Trump being rejected from Harvard, which appear to be part of a broader narrative about Trump's relationship with Ivy League institutions ^[1]
• The viral fake rejection letter from 2016 that may have contributed to this narrative ^[3]
• The Trump administration's official stance, expressed through a White House spokesperson, characterized Harvard as an "overrated, corrupt institution" ^[2], suggesting political motivations behind the ongoing narrative

It's worth noting that different parties benefit from these narratives:

• Trump's critics benefit from portraying him as rejected by elite institutions
• Trump's supporters benefit from portraying Harvard as an "overrated" institution representing the elite establishment
• Media figures like Michael Wolff benefit from controversial claims that generate publicity