This Is How Far Donald Trump Jr. Actually Got In School
If something related to former President Donald Trump makes the news, you can expect Donald Trump Jr. to add his two cents. And even if it doesn't involve the former president, Trump Jr. loves weighing in on current events.
During the height of the college admissions scandal that concluded with actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin serving prison sentences, Trump Jr. took to Twitter to weigh in on the matter. When Huffman joked that she was learning new college "hacks" from her "Desperate Housewives" co-stars, Trump Jr. snarked, "I'm learning new ones as we speak. Stay tuned," while retweeting a now-deleted message from Huffman. (Given what his father was accused of during his presidency, Trump Jr. might have benefitted from a different choice of words.)
Naturally, people were questioning where Trump Jr. went to school, especially given his propensity to snark on others and their schooling. So, where did Donald Trump Jr. go to college? Keep reading to find out.
Donald Trump Jr. spent his 'formative years in the rust belt'
Growing up in New York City, Donald Trump Jr. was insulated by privilege. Before he went off to college, Trump Jr. was educated at the prestigious Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
During his father's 2020 campaign for president, Trump Jr. tried to appeal to the "Fox & Friends" working-class audience by saying that he grew up in the Rust Belt. "Eric and I, we went to boarding school in central Pennsylvania. We went through our formative years in the rust belt," he said. "So while we may be the sons of a New York billionaire, we grew up in Pottstown, Pennsylvania." But, according to the Hill School's website, in 2021, boarding school tuition totals more than $66,000 a year, while the day school runs more than $45,000 a year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average middle-class salary as of 2019 is just a little over $61,000. And a study by the University of Wisconsin reveals that the average Rust Belt worker won't make $61,000 a year in their lifetime.
That means that the average middle-class person — not to mention the average Rust Belt resident — with whom Trump Jr. tried to connect cannot afford to send their children to the school where he and his siblings went before college. So much for "growing up in the Rust Belt."
Donald Trump Jr. attended the University of Pennsylvania
In 2000, Donald Trump Jr. graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business with a bachelor's degree in economics. But, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Trump Jr. had no business going off on Felicity Huffman or anyone else involved in the college admissions scandal because he, too, benefitted from his connections in order to get into the prestigious school.
The outlet reports that a "backdoor practice" got Trump Jr. in the door at Wharton — and children from wealthy families benefit from it all the time. "Around the time Trump's son Donald Jr. and daughter Ivanka began classes at Penn in 1996 and 2000, respectively, the university and its private Manhattan clubhouse benefited from more than $1.4 million in pledged donations from Trump," The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
While this is certainly an unfair practice, it is by no means illegal. But did Donald Trump Jr. leave a positive legacy behind him when he graduated? Read on to find out.
Donald Trump Jr. didn't have the best reputation in college
In a 2004 profile for New York magazine, long before his father ran for president, Donald Trump Jr. admitted that he had a reputation in college for drinking. "To be fairly candid," he said, "I used to drink a lot and party pretty hard, and it wasn't something that I was particularly good at... I was good at it, but I couldn't do it in moderation."
A former classmate of Trump Jr.'s confirmed on Facebook (via Vanity Fair) that "Donnie" did not have the best reputation. "Donald Jr. was a drunk in college. Every memory I have of him is of him stumbling around on campus falling over or passing out in public, with his arm in a sling from injuring himself while drinking," he said.
And, in a 2017 People profile, it was revealed that Trump Jr.'s reputation reportedly extended to women, as well. A friend who went to fraternity parties at the University of Pennsylvania recalled that "everyone was warned to stay away from Donnie Trump." Yikes.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).