In the fall of 2024, former President Donald Trump announced that his youngest son, Barron Trump, had decided to go to New York University (NYU).
This surprised many people because most of the Trump family has traditionally gone to other well-known schools like the University of Pennsylvania or Georgetown. Barron choosing NYU was unusual, and some people think it might be because he didn’t get into the schools he originally wanted.
There were online rumors saying Barron applied to Harvard, Columbia, and Stanford but was rejected by all three. Donald Trump didn’t give details about which colleges Barron applied to, but he did say that his son had many options and that NYU’s Stern School of Business, where Barron is enrolled, is a top business school. Donald said in an interview that Barron is very smart and had been accepted into several colleges.
Previously, Donald mentioned that Barron was thinking about going to the University of Pennsylvania, just like his father and sister Tiffany. But in the end, Barron chose to stay in New York. Melania Trump, Barron’s mother, said it was his choice to stay in the city and live at home. Still, some people wonder if there’s more to the story.
There’s even talk that Donald Trump might be angry at some of these universities because they rejected Barron. In early 2025, Donald cut off federal money to Harvard and Columbia, accusing them of promoting hate and antisemitism.
He also launched investigations into Stanford and other schools in California, saying their admissions practices were unfair. This led to speculation that Trump’s actions were personal — some believe he’s targeting the colleges that rejected his son.
A few public figures and politicians added to these rumors. For example, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse posted online, questioning whether Trump’s college anger came from rejection.
One person on Facebook suggested that with all the Trump family’s money, it was surprising these schools still didn’t let Barron in. However, fact-checkers haven’t been able to confirm whether Barron was actually rejected by these schools. None of the universities have commented, and no reliable proof has been found, so for now, it remains a matter of speculation.
Meanwhile, the entertainment world has also seen many shifts in how celebrities view Donald Trump. When Trump first ran for office, some famous people supported him. But over time, many of them changed their minds.
Singer Clay Aiken, who once defended Trump, later apologized for ever backing him, especially when it came to accusations of racism. Caitlyn Jenner initially supported Trump too, but she turned against him after he reversed protections for transgender students and later banned transgender people from the military. Jenner admitted she was wrong about thinking Trump would support LGBTQ+ rights.
Rapper Kanye West famously wore a MAGA hat and met with Trump, but by 2020, he publicly broke away from him. He even admitted that his own brief run for president was meant to pull votes away from Joe Biden.
Former wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura also criticized Trump, even though they used to be friends. He didn’t like being compared to Trump and clearly wanted to distance himself.
Football legend Tom Brady had a close friendship with Trump, and even displayed a MAGA hat in his locker. But when Trump criticized NFL players for kneeling during the anthem, Brady stayed silent, skipped a White House visit, and later said he disagreed with Trump’s divisive tone.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who took over as host of “The Apprentice” after Trump, said he wouldn’t vote for him and criticized his behavior and policies. Trump responded by attacking Schwarzenegger’s TV ratings, leading to a public feud.
Comedian Dave Chappelle once asked the public to give Trump a chance, but later regretted saying that. He felt disgusted by how Trump ran his campaign and presidency, and even apologized for his earlier comments.
Actor Bryan Cranston said he hoped Trump would succeed for the country’s sake, but later called out Trump’s behavior during the pandemic, saying he no longer believed Trump was mentally stable.
Musician Aaron Carter once said he was too smart for people criticizing his support of Trump, but he eventually changed his mind and said he couldn’t support him anymore, especially after Trump’s comments about women became public.
Omarosa Manigault Newman, once a close Trump ally on “The Apprentice” and later in the White House, recorded her own firing and wrote a tell-all book. Trump responded by calling her names on social media, but she stood by her story.
Over time, more and more celebrities who once stood by Trump publicly turned away from him — often because of his policies, personal behavior, or how he treated others. Their stories show how much has changed since the early days of his political rise.
