Now that President Donald Trump seems to be targeting Harvard University, some critics of the president suspect he’s doing so for personal reasons. As the Trump administration tries to bar international students from attending Harvard, and pushes federal agencies to terminate all contracts with the university, rumors about his son have flooded social media. Trump’s beef with Harvard has some people convinced his youngest son, Barron, applied to the university and didn’t get in.
Barron is a student at New York University, but critics don’t think the school was his first choice. “Donald Trump is using presidential resources to punish Harvard for rejecting Barron Trump’s application ….” one Trump critic alleged on X.
There is no evidence Barron applied to Harvard, but that didn’t stop the rumors from intensifying. After all, several people pointed out that attacking Harvard for this reason wouldn’t exactly be out of character for Trump.
“I have no idea if Barron applied to Harvard and was rejected, but I find it hard to believe NYU was his first choice where to attend college, and we all know Donald Trump is notorious for seeking vengeance and retribution on people (and) businesses that slight him or his family,” one person wrote on X.
Melania Trump said the rumors about Harvard rejecting Barron aren’t true. “Barron did not apply to Harvard, and any assertion that he, or that anyone on his behalf, applied is completely false,” a spokesperson for Melania told People.
After she shut down the college admissions rumor, other rumors started gaining traction. One person who shared their theory on X wrote: “Barron did not apply. Trump never went to Harvard. He is doing this because of his jealousy towards Barack Obama. It’s his inflated ego!”
Trump’s feud with Harvard continues to escalate. On May 28, 2025, Trump told reporters that by pushing back against him, Harvard is “treating the country with great disrespect.”
“Harvard wants to fight,” he said, per ABC News. “They want to show how smart they are, and they’re getting their a– kicked. All they’re doing is getting in deeper and deeper and deeper. They’ve got to behave themselves.”
