President Donald Trump said Monday that it is “totally FALSE” that his administration’s legal entanglements with Harvard University are connected to him not being admitted to the Ivy League university.

Newsweek reached out to Harvard for comment via email Monday.

Why It Matters

Trump and his administration have cracked down on Ivy League institutions like Harvard and Columbia University since he took office in January, accusing the universities of perpetrating antisemitism by allowing pro-Palestinian student activism on campus.

The Department of Homeland Security terminated nearly $3 million in grants to Harvard after the university defied a list of demands that included discontinuing its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, reforming student discipline policies and implementing a mask ban.

The Trump administration also recently said it would pull the certification for Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which allows the university to enroll international students. A judge issued a temporary restraining order to halt the new policy.

What To Know

“Michael Wolff, a Third Rate Reporter, who is laughed at even by the scoundrels of the Fake News, recently stated that the only reason I’m ‘beating up’ on Harvard, is because I applied there, and didn’t get in,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday.

He continued: “That story is totally FALSE, I never applied to Harvard. I graduated from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania. He is upset because his book about me was a total ‘BOMB.’ Nobody wanted it, because his ‘reporting’ and reputation is so bad!”

While appearing on The Daily Beast’s podcast last week, Wolff claimed that the president is targeting Harvard because he didn’t get into the school.

“It’s also odd because so many of the people around Donald Trump went to Ivy League universities,” Joanna Coles, Chief Content Officer and Creative officer for The Daily Beast and host of the outlet’s podcast, said last week. “Several of them went to Harvard Business School. Obviously, JD Vance proudly went to Yale. So, it does seem particularly odd, but perhaps he’s also trying to stuff it to them, too.”

“It’s important … not to lend too much calculation and planning to anything he does,” Wolff replied. “But the other thing is that, by the way, he didn’t get into Harvard.”

“Donald Trump didn’t get into Harvard,” Coles repeated.

“You know, so one of the Trump things is always, you know, holding a grudge against the Ivy Leagues,” Wolff said.

Newsweek reached out to Wolff via his publisher, The Crown Publishing Group, by email Monday for comment.

First Lady Melania Trump also recently shot down a rumor that the youngest Trump child, Barron Trump, applied to Harvard and was denied admission to the university.

“Barron did not apply to Harvard, and any assertion that he, or that anyone on his behalf, applied is completely false,” the first lady said in a statement to The Palm Beach Post. Barron Trump recently finished his freshman year at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

What People Are Saying

White House spokesperson Taylor Rodgers said in an email to The Daily Beast last week: “The Daily Beast and Michael Wolff have lots in common—they both peddle fake news for clickbait in a hopeless attempt to amount to something more than lying losers.”

“The President didn’t need to apply to an overrated, corrupt institution like Harvard to become a successful businessman and the most transformative President in history,” Rodgers said.

Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisianna last week on X, formerly Twitter: “Here’s what I hear President Trump saying: Harvard is an overpriced indoctrination mill.

“The purpose of higher education is to make you think—not make you feel comfortable. Harvard doesn’t practice that.”

Harvard President Alan M. Garber in part in a statement after their recent legal win: “The court has granted Harvard’s motion, allowing the University to continue enrolling international students and scholars as the case proceeds. A hearing has been set for next Thursday, May 29, to determine whether the temporary order should be extended.

“This is a critical step to protect the rights and opportunities of our international students and scholars, who are vital to the University’s mission and community. Many among us are likely to have additional concerns and questions. Important updates and guidance will continue to be provided by the Harvard International Office as they become available,” Garber said.

What Happens Next

It is believed that the Trump administration will continue to fight Harvard in court as the school is within the 30-day window to contest the administration pulling their SEVP certification.