Viral social media posts have claimed that Donald Trump is targeting various Ivy League institutions because his son, Barron Trump, was rejected by them. This comes amid escalating tensions between universities like Harvard, Columbia, and Stanford, and the Trump administration. Viral posts suggest that Trump is threatening to cut their federal funding as a retaliation against the rejections.
Take a look at some of these posts on X:
Was Barron Trump rejected by Harvard?
Despite the claims having gone viral, there is evidence to indicate that Barron had applied to Harvard and was rejected by the institution. Barron’s academic journey began at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York City. He was later transferred to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Maryland in September 2017 after Trump was elected as president.
Barron enrolled at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, after his father left the White House in 2021. In 2024, he went on to graduate from Oxbridge. That same fall, Barron started attending New York University’s Stern School of Business, where he is currently enrolled.
Harvard reportedly received a letter from the Trump administration last week, outlining a number of demands tied to federal funding, including reforming its curriculum and admissions programs, discontinuing DEI practices and additional policy demands. However, The New York Times recently reported that the letter was “unauthorized” and should not have been sent, citing two insiders familiar with the situation. Harvard rejected the demands of the April 11 letter, with President Alan M. Garber saying in a statement that the “University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
Inside the Trump administration, there were different accounts on how the letter was mishandled. While some at the White House said it was sent prematurely, others believed it was never meant to be sent. Harvard told CNN that it does not doubt the letter’s authenticity, noting that the Trump administration has already frozen billions in federal funding to the renowned university.
“Even assuming the Administration now wishes to take back its litany of breathtakingly intrusive demands, it appears to have doubled down on those demands through its deeds in recent days. Actions speak louder than words,” a statement from a Harvard spokesperson reads in part.
The spokesperson said that the letter “was signed by three federal officials, placed on official letterhead, was sent from the e-mail inbox of a senior federal official, and was sent on April 11 as promised.”
