Trump brags about attending Wharton School, Internet reminds him of professor’s ‘dumbest student’ remark

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Donald Trump has often boasted about attending the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, yet there are still unanswered questions regarding his presence at the Ivy League institution.

The former president once again bragged about the school and the praises he received from the professors there while facing Vice President Kamala Harris for their first presidential debate since she became the nominee for the Democratic Party.

Donald Trump boasts about going to Wharton School

"I went to the Wharton School of Finance and many of those professors think my plan is a brilliant plan," Donald Trump said while discussing his economic policies during the debate.

"It's a great plan."

Trump claimed that his proposals will highlight the value of America as a nation. Harris mentioned the school while discussing the financial risks associated with a second term for Trump.

"What I'm offering is an opportunity economy, and the best economists in the country — if not in the world — have reviewed our relative plans for the future of America," she said, per the US Sun.

"What Goldman Sachs has said is that Donald Trump would make the economy worse. Mine would strengthen the economy."

She continued, "What the Wharton School said is Donald Trump's plan would actually explode the deficit. Sixteen Nobel Laureates described his economic plan as something that would increase inflation by the middle of next year and would invite a recession."

What Wharton School professors think about Donald Trump

The Trump family has a decent level of education, with their patriarch, Donald Trump, setting the standard with a degree from the esteemed the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. It turns out, though, that he might not have been an ideal student.

Lawyer Frank DiPrima shared the unflattering impression of Trump that former Wharton marketing professor William T Kelley had given him. The 1980s teaching retiree Kelley even allegedly went so far as to label Trump as "dumb," according to Philadelphia Magazine.

"He must have told me that 100 times over the course of 30 years," DiPrima claimed.

Di Prima remarked of Kelley, "I remember the inflection of his voice when he said it. 'Donald Trump was the dumbest godd**n student I ever had!' He would say that [Trump] came to Wharton thinking he already knew everything, that he was arrogant and he wasn't there to learn."

Over the years, Kelley probably instructed hundreds of students, so it appears that Trump left a bad impact.

While opinions on how well grades reflect a person's skill as a student may differ, there are reports regarding Trump's college records that suggest he doesn't have the finest grades, which may support Kelley's assessment of the candidate.

Donald Trump never released records about how he got into Wharton School

Donald Trump enrolled at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, in 1964, but he moved to the Wharton School after just two years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in economics in May 1968.

Trump has cited his attendance at the institution, which was once known as the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, as evidence of his brilliance for decades.

He has often called it "the hardest school to get into, the best school in the world," describing it as "super genius stuff".

Trump, however, has never made public the documents demonstrating his admission to the university or his academic standing there.

James Nolan, who handled admissions for the University of Pennsylvania in 1966, provided The Washington Post with a thorough description of Trump's admissions procedure. In 2019, Nolan informed the publication that he was "sure" the Trump family wanted he would attend Wharton and that his application had been accepted by Nolan's deceased boss.

Nolan was unable to determine whether the choice was made on the basis of an insider relationship by the wealthy Trump family or whether it was a decisive one. More than half of Pennsylvania's applications were admitted, according to Nolan at the time, while transfer students like Trump were admitted at a rate higher than others because of their prior college experience.

The University of Pennsylvania's admission rate in the 1960s is not publicly available, although the school's website states that in the 1980s, it was "slightly greater than 40%".

"It was not very difficult," Nolan said of Trump's enrollment. "I certainly was not struck by any sense that I’m sitting before a genius. Certainly not a super genius."

Nolan went on to explain that he regretted helping Trump and said, "I wish I hadn't interviewed him."

Nolan stated that he had never seen Trump with another student when asked to characterize his social circle at the school.

"Always by himself," said Nolan. "Kind of a sad sack."

Michael Cohen said Donald Trump 'threatened' his alma mater with legal action

Former Donald Trump attorney and self-described "fixer" Michael Cohen said before Congress in 2019 that his employer ordered him to "threaten" his alma mater with legal action if his transcripts were made public.

"I’m talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores," Cohen told the House Oversight Committee.

One of the letters was written to Fordham University in May 2015, one month prior to Trump's announcement of his intention to run for president.

The letter was addressed to the school's then-president, Reverend Joseph M McShane. "As I am sure you are aware, pursuant to applicable law, including the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act...the release or disclosure, in any form, of such records (or any information contained in such records) to any third party without my client's prior written authorization is expressly prohibited by law," the letter read.

"We will hold your institution liable to the fullest extent of the law including damages and criminality."

A similar letter was also received by the New York Military Academy, from where Trump graduated in 1964.

"I thank you for your cooperation. Please guide yourself accordingly and contact me to inform me that the records have been permanently sealed," Cohen wrote at the time.

Internet reacts as Donald Trump boasts about his Wharton School professors' praises

People on the internet mostly mocked Donald Trump for boasting about his degree and the accolades he received from the Wharton School professors for his economic proposals.

One X user tweeted, "I really hope the followup was, 'Which professors? Can you name any?'"

Another added, "Bro, all your professors are dead." 

"Literally NONE of those professors think #trump plan is brilliant plan Almost every economist out there thinks #trump plan will add massively to the deficit, national debt, and cause huge inflation," remarked one.

Another wrote, "Name one professor who believes that."

One remarked, "That’s another lie… Many of the professors at his former school have said the exact opposite."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.