Fact check: Trump was rejected by harvard

1. Summary of the results

The claim that Trump was rejected by Harvard cannot be verified and appears to be false. Multiple sources confirm that Trump attended Fordham University before transferring to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1966, where he graduated in 1968 ^[1]. While author Michael Wolff has suggested Trump didn't get into Harvard, there is no official record confirming whether Trump ever applied or was rejected ^[2]. Importantly, a purported Harvard rejection letter that circulated online was actually an April Fool's Day joke published by The Tab website in 2016 ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are missing from the original statement:

• Trump's actual educational path: He attended Fordham University before transferring to and graduating from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania ^[1]
• The claim gained traction during a period of political tension when the Harvard Republican Club declined to endorse Trump ^[3]
• There are current conflicts between Trump and Harvard regarding federal funding and diversity policies ^[4]
• Recent developments show that Trump's son Barron did not apply to Harvard ^[5]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement appears to stem from several sources of misinformation:

• An April Fool's Day hoax that was presented as a genuine rejection letter ^[3]
• Political tensions between Trump and Harvard that may have motivated the spread of this narrative ^[4]
• The claim benefits those seeking to question Trump's academic credentials or intelligence, particularly during periods of political conflict with educational institutions
• The narrative has been perpetuated by public figures like Michael Wolff, though without substantiation ^[2]