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Fact check: What claims have been made about Trump's SAT scores and college entrance exams?
1. Summary of the results
Based on the analyses provided, several significant claims have been made about Trump's SAT scores and college entrance exams:
Primary allegations include:
- Michael Cohen's testimony: Trump's former lawyer claimed that Trump ordered him to threaten Trump's schools to prevent the release of his grades or SAT scores, suggesting Trump may be hiding poor academic performance [1] [2]
- Mary Trump's book allegations: Trump's niece alleged in her book that Trump paid someone to take the SAT for him, which helped him gain admission to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton business school [3]
- Academic investigation demands: Six Wharton professors have called for an investigation into the claim that Trump cheated on his SAT [4] [5]
Institutional responses:
- The University of Pennsylvania has rejected the professors' demands for investigation on the grounds that the incident occurred too far in the past [5]
- Professor Eric Orts at the University of Pennsylvania has specifically asked the school to launch a probe into the allegations, following the release of secretly recorded audio from Trump's sister Maryanne Trump Barry [6]
- If proven true, these allegations could potentially lead to the revocation of Trump's degree [4]
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
The analyses reveal several important contextual elements not immediately apparent:
- Family corroboration: The allegations aren't solely from external sources - they involve claims from Trump's own niece Mary Trump and references to secretly recorded audio from his sister Maryanne Trump Barry [3] [6]
- Legal implications: The controversy extends beyond mere academic curiosity, as Wharton professors are actively demanding formal investigations that could result in degree revocation [4] [5]
- Pattern of secrecy: The claims about SAT cheating align with broader allegations about Trump's efforts to keep academic records private through legal threats [1] [2]
Missing viewpoints that would benefit analysis:
- Trump's direct response to these specific allegations
- The University of Pennsylvania's detailed rationale for declining investigation
- Independent verification attempts of the claims
- Legal experts' opinions on the statute of limitations for academic fraud
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original question appears neutral and factual in its framing, simply asking "What claims have been made about Trump's SAT scores and college entrance exams?" This phrasing appropriately seeks information rather than making assertions.
However, the question could benefit from additional specificity about:
- The timeframe of these claims
- The distinction between allegations and proven facts
- The sources making these claims (family members, former associates, etc.)
Note: Three sources in the third analysis group [7] [8] [9] were irrelevant to the question, discussing unrelated topics such as Columbia University settlements and White House transcript databases, which suggests some analytical sources may not have been properly filtered for relevance to the specific query about SAT scores and college entrance exams.