# Finally, I'm not ashamed of my Harvard connection
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Tags:** trump
**Created:** [April 15, 2025, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063 "2025-04-15T09:05:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2025, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/41 "2025-04-19T15:50:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> if some of those people in positions of power see their almae matres being attacked, it might motivate them to use the power they have to fight back.
I doubt it. One of the reason I cringe at the Ivy Leagues is because so many of the anti-elite, anti-intellectual thought leaders (now there’s a paradox!) are Ivy League grads themselves. They’re the unironic not-at-all-funny real life versions of Ron Swanson who are simultaneously in government and yet anti-government. Of the Ivy League, and yet opposed.
Ted Cruz? Princeton undergrad, Harvard Law.
Josh Hawley? Stanford undergrad (Ivy in all but name), Yale Law.
JD Vance? Yale Law.
Insurrectionist Stewart Rhodes? Yale Law.
ASL? Public undergrad, public masters degree, public law degree.
I rest my case. I dare say the Ivy League produces a disproportionate number of Ringwraiths, who above all else desire power. Loyalty to their alma maters doesn’t factor into it.
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### Author:  [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/42 "2025-04-19T15:59:29Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#):
>
> Ted Cruz? Princeton undergrad, Harvard Law.
> Josh Hawley? Stanford undergrad (Ivy in all but name), Yale Law.
> JD Vance? Yale Law.
> Insurrectionist Stewart Rhodes? Yale Law.
Hell…Trump graduated from Wharton (UPenn). Dunno if that is Ivy League but that is definitely elite. It is to finance what Harvard law is to lawyers.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/43 "2025-04-19T16:00:08Z")
Well, I did say “some”. Will this change some nonzero number of minds? Definitely. Will it change all of them? Definitely not. Will the number of minds it changes be enough to do any good? That remains to be seen.
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2025, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/44 "2025-04-19T17:13:52Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#):
>
> Trump graduated from Wharton (UPenn). Dunno if that is Ivy League
Yep - UPenn is one of the Ivies.
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### Author:  [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2025, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/45 "2025-04-19T18:22:55Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> But damn. At last, Harvard fights the good fight. At least for now.
>
> Go, Harvard. Please don’t capitulate and make me regret admitting my affiliation with you.
No shame in tapping out if/when you know you’re beat. It’s in the preemptive surrender that Columbia failed.
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### Author:  [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2025, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/46 "2025-04-19T22:26:43Z")
I am ashamed of my Penn connection. First, they awarded degrees to Trump and Musk, although the latter probably actually earned it.
Honestly I don’t think Trump gives a sh\*t about antisemitism. I’ve known his type. They believe that Jews are good at only two things: handling money and being shyster lawyers (Roy Cohen, Michael Cohen). I expect most of us Jews are actually aware of thisl
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/47 "2025-04-19T22:43:47Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#):
>
> I am ashamed of my Penn connection. First, they awarded degrees to Trump and Musk, although the latter probably actually earned it.
I have a stupid fantasy that Wharton will release Trump’s academic records. He has bragged that he was #1 in his class; I’d love to see the _real_ rankings.
But, I’m sure they won’t do it. And even if they would, all it would do is cause blowback for UPenn, without accomplishing anything.
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### Author:  [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2025, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/48 "2025-04-19T23:10:09Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#):
>
> Honestly I don’t think Trump gives a sh\*t about antisemitism. I’ve known his type. They believe that Jews are good at only two things: handling money and being shyster lawyers (Roy Cohen, Michael Cohen).
Also bringing about the second coming of Christ and the end of days. That’s why evangelical Christians support Israel’s continued existence and expansion as a Jewish state: they think it’s a necessary pre-condition of Revelation. What will actually happen to the Jews living in Israel once that happens—at least the ones who don’t accept Christ—will be pretty damn antisemitic. And the evangelical Christians will be all for it.
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### Author:  [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2025, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/49 "2025-04-20T21:22:54Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> I have a stupid fantasy that Wharton will release Trump’s academic records. He has bragged that he was #1 in his class; I’d love to see the _real_ rankings.
>
> But, I’m sure they won’t do it. And even if they would, all it would do is cause blowback for UPenn
And we may have noted of late a pattern of RW putzes challenging people like Obama or Harris to reveal **their** academic records (or stating they don’t see proof of that record even existing, or making up that the record is deprecatory).
In my work life I have not encountered anyone questioning undergraduate grades 30+ years in the past like that. Instinctively in the political world my answer would be, “_your guy_ first”, but that would just be legitimizing their game.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/50 "2025-04-20T23:03:46Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> I have a stupid fantasy that Wharton will release Trump’s academic records. He has bragged that he was #1 in his class; I’d love to see the _real_ rankings.
Has it ever been leaked who took Trump’s classes for him?
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### Author:  [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/51 "2025-04-20T23:39:07Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#):
>
> Also bringing about the second coming of Christ and the end of days. That’s why evangelical Christians support Israel’s continued existence and expansion as a Jewish state: they think it’s a necessary pre-condition of Revelation.
I know that a lot of people think that this is just some kind of Pentecostal cosplay thing because so many Evangelical leaders are obvious grifters and anything but ‘Christian’ in any rational definition of the term but the hardcore Evangelical apocalyptor base literally believes in this shit and are repeatedly counting down for the _Book of Revelations_ prediction of End Of Days. Bringing the Jewish state to its own destruction is something they lust like porn.
Stranger
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### Author:  [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/52 "2025-04-21T00:38:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> Has it ever been leaked who took Trump’s classes for him?
It’s astonishing how Trump has made it this far.
Everything he does and says suggests a buffoon. I have wondered if he can actually read (I think he can).
There is no universe where Trump gets into and graduates from Wharton without big payoffs in there. Trump is a moron. He’s never shown the slightest ability in…anything (except being a narcissistic dick).
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### Author:  [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/53 "2025-04-21T21:38:22Z")
Harvard goes on offense:
> **[Harvard Sues Trump Administration Over $2.2 Billion Funding Freeze | News |...](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/22/harvard-sues-trump-admin/)**
>
> Harvard sued the Trump administration in federal court on Monday over its multibillion dollar cuts to the University’s research funding, accusing the White House of undertaking an arbitrary and unconstitutional campaign to “punish Harvard for...
I applaud the _hell_ out of this, and hope it spreads like wildfire.
Dig this bit:
> Harvard will be represented by Robert K. Hur ’95 and William A. Burck, both lawyers with deep ties to President Donald Trump. Hur was appointed to the United States Department of Justice by Trump in his first term, and Burck has served as counsel for the Trump Organization.
Hur was the Special Counsel who looked into Biden’s handling of classified docs.
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### Author:  [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2025, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/54 "2025-04-23T03:02:23Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> You’d bet wrong. I mean, there are a lot of Harvard grads, and no doubt many voted for both sides. But Harvard is a very liberal place, at least among grads in my general cohort (mid 80s.) That’s a major reason why the Republicans don’t like it. Liberal ivory tower, and all that.
Marc Andreessen (Netscape, Andreessen Horowitz venture capital, billionaire) posits that upper middle class kids go to Harvard, get radicalized, go to Silicon Valley as anarchists that only care about destroying tech and not a whit about a career. Also, that he only wants his companies to be allowed to stay in business (such as bit coin without regulation). Buggers the questions:
1. You’re so smart, deserve your riches, and don’t know how to hire the right people
2. Want your companies to “compete” without any kind of regulation. Ie, unfettered capitalism without any guardrails
3. Take over as an enlightened oligarch
[This NY Times podcast with their Trumpian bullshit talking point spewing conservative.](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/17/opinion/marc-andreessen-trump-silicon-valley.html) Also, that he only wants his companies to be allowed to stay in business (such as bit coin without regulation).) Ross Douthat is worth the hour it takes to listen to in order to understand how the Broligarchs saw things a year ago when they decided to throw in behind Trump.
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### Author:  [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2025, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/55 "2025-05-23T16:53:09Z")
Trump and his oily minions have been continuing their insane assault on Harvard by revoking its ability to enroll foreign students. They can do this because apparently Homeland Security has to certify universities to allow foreign enrollment. Harvard, of course, [immediately sued and very quickly got an injunction](https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/05/23/harvard-sues-trump-administration-foreign-student-ban) against the order today.
But this is throwing thousands and thousands of students’ lives and educational careers into extreme turmoil. It’s really unconscionable. I have to stop thinking about it because I can feel my blood pressure spiking. Can you imagine being one of those students right now?
These people (not the students, as I hope is obvious) are just mean, petty bastards.
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2025, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/56 "2025-05-23T17:04:38Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#):
>
> But this is throwing thousands and thousands of students’ lives and educational careers into extreme turmoil. It’s really unconscionable. I have to stop thinking about it because I can feel my blood pressure spiking. Can you imagine being one of those students right now?
I know, it makes me want to throw up. It’s so disruptive to the lives of innocent people.
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### Author:  [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2025, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/57 "2025-05-24T01:23:35Z")
I don’t think you understand. Cruelty is a feature, not a bug, in these people’s thinking.
The Votemaster this morning suggested that Harvard open a branch campus in Montreal. Maybe I could come out of retirement.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/58 "2025-05-24T01:25:04Z")
That’s not a crazy idea. I think Toronto is closer, as the owner flies.
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2025, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/59 "2025-05-24T06:27:14Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#):
>
> Cruelty is a feature, not a bug, in these people’s thinking.
For sure, but that doesn’t change my response.
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### Author:  [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2025, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-im-not-ashamed-of-my-harvard-connection/1017063/60 "2025-05-24T14:02:42Z")
I’m hesitant to post what could be nothing more than malicious, unfounded rumor, but … we’re starting to hear this from some fairly credible people who _may_ be positioned to actually know…
This guy …
> **[Brooks Newmark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_Newmark)**
>
> Brooks Phillip Victor Newmark (born 8 May 1958) is a former British Conservative politician, who served as a Member of Parliament and minister. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Braintree in the 2005 general election and stood down at the 2015 general election.
> Prior to entering politics, he was involved in various businesses and was a senior partner at a private equity firm. Newmark is a visiting academic at the University of Oxford and became a guest lecturer in politics after h...
Was on the Times Radio show/podcast, and attributed Trump’s aggressive stance toward Harvard to the latter’s denial of Barron Trump’s application to attend Harvard [should be cued up]:
[**YouTube clip (less than a minute)**](https://youtu.be/wDVkP6VwVwU?t=323)
If true … this would be totally shocking, absolutely unsurprising, and frankly repellant – totally on brand for Donald Trump.
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