Why Donald Trump doesn’t want his academic records to be released
In the past, the leader of the Republican Party has threatened to take legal action in cases that could result in his educational accomplishments or failings being made public.
In 2019, three years into his presidency, Donald Trump reportedly instructed his lawyer to threaten officials from his high school, college, and the College Board with jail time if they ever disclosed his academic records. Since then, any details about his grades, achievements, and potential shortcomings from his early years have remained sealed under the shadow of legal threats.
But what led Trump to take such an extreme step? How has this decree managed to maintain its hold for so long? More importantly, what is he so determined to keep hidden?
As instructed by Trump, Michael Cohen, his former attorney, revealed that he was forced to warn Trump’s former educational institutions about the severe consequences they would face if they ever made his academic records public. Cohen, now 58 years old, shared this explosive detail during his testimony to Congress six years ago. He even presented an example of the letter he had drafted in response to Trump’s directive.
The letter, which Cohen described in his testimony, included a threat directed at the president of Fordham University—the school Trump attended for two years before transferring to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania to complete his bachelor’s degree. Additionally, Trump’s high school representatives confirmed that they had received a letter identical to the one Cohen had prepared, cementing the extent of the legal threats issued to keep Trump’s academic history under wraps.
During this time, both the College Board and the University of Pennsylvania chose to remain silent on the matter.
However, it’s important to note that sending such threatening letters was entirely unnecessary. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, it had been illegal in the United States to disclose a student’s academic records without their consent for quite some time.
That said, while FERPA protects academic records, leaks can—and often do—still happen.
Given Trump’s controversial public persona, it’s easy to understand why he might have been especially concerned. Especially when considering the inconsistencies surrounding his early academic history, which have become increasingly public. This is particularly striking when compared to President Obama’s academic record.
In the past, Trump has mocked Barack Obama’s perceived lack of a solid educational background, questioning his academic credentials. But it turns out that Trump’s own educational journey shares some striking similarities with Obama’s. Both Trump, now 77, and Obama, now 63, spent two years at institutions with less rigorous academic standards before transferring to Ivy League schools—Trump to the University of Pennsylvania and Obama to Columbia University—to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
Despite both Trump and Obama graduating without honors, the comparison between their academic achievements has been drawn by many. President Obama, a father of two, went on to graduate magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, earning a prestigious graduate degree. In contrast, Trump did not pursue further studies and never achieved honors.
Over the years, Trump has repeatedly questioned how Obama could have ever gained admission to an Ivy League school, despite the widespread belief that Obama’s admission to the University of Pennsylvania may have been influenced by his own father’s connections. This raises a curious question: Does Trump have a tendency to project his own experiences onto others? It’s difficult to say for sure.
As for Trump, he has frequently boasted about his academic record, claiming to have been “first in his class” at the Wharton School. However, the truth is that he did not graduate with honors, a fact that stands in stark contrast to his public claims.
For those reading from the United Kingdom, it’s important to note that honors at universities are typically awarded based on GPA, with a distinction requiring a score of 3.40 or higher. This means that Trump’s GPA fell short of this benchmark, and he certainly didn’t finish at the top of his class.
This “white lie” might not be as significant if it weren’t for Trump’s repeated mockery of Obama’s academic achievements, particularly his GPA, all while seemingly unaware of the discrepancies in his own academic history. The irony is hard to ignore, given his own lack of distinction despite his public claims of academic superiority.
