The Washington Post ran a story on Tuesday that seemingly confirmed Michael Cohen’s testimony last week, in which he claimed that he had taken part in reaching out to various schools President Trump had attended and threatened them to bury his transcripts. The headmaster at New York Military Academy, where Trump attended high school, told the Post that back in 2011 they had been ordered to hand over the then-Celebrity Apprentice host’s academic records.
This reportedly occurred just days after Trump accused President Barack Obama of being a terrible student and demanded that he release his own records. The school declined to surrender Trump’s transcripts and instead moved them to a safer, undisclosed place.
Although no one knows for sure whether or not Trump was a terrible student, this latest story seems to follow a similar narrative that we’ve seen time and time again. A spokesperson for Fordham University, where Trump attended two years as an undergrad, likewise confirmed to the Post that they had received a letter from Cohen threatening legal action should they release any of his records.
A spokesman for the University of Pennsylvania declined a request to comment on the story, however some minor detective work easily exposed Trump’s previous false claims about graduating at the head of his class.
Last year, he said he “heard I was first in my class” at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton business program, where he finished his undergraduate degree, but Trump’s name does not appear on the school’s dean’s list or on the list of students who received academic honors in his class of 1968.
Hours after the story dropped, Kellyanne Conway’s husband, a frequent critic of Trump’s, blasted the president on Twitter. “I will concede him this: Wherever he goes and whatever he does, Trump will always be summa cum liar,” tweeted George Conway, adding the hashtag #SummaCumLiar.
I will concede him this: Wherever he goes and whatever he does, Trump will always be summa cum liar. #SummaCumLiar https://t.co/9HGCV3THLA
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) March 6, 2019
Conway’s tweet quickly went viral, and as a result #SummaCumLiar was trending hard on Twitter by Wednesday morning:
Presidents don't have to show us their grades. But Trump claimed he was first in his class. He harassed Obama about showing his grades. He says he's a very stable genius.
Trump brings this all on himself.#SummaCumLiar
— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) March 6, 2019
I keep thinking of that quote from one of Trump's teachers, "Donald Trump was one of the dumbest goddamn students I ever had." #SummaCumLiar
— Book Jockey (@AngelaLovesNY) March 6, 2019
https://twitter.com/KellysKorner/status/1103301341106061312
https://twitter.com/Kakistocracy15/status/1103289675316371456
45 has mastered the #ArtOfTheLie it's not just 1 lie, it's a long series of lies to cover up the first, tries to convince the masses that the lies are the truth & brainwashes some to believe him over fact. Even when faced with facts. It's truly a (sad) art form #SummaCumLiar https://t.co/irGtHmq3hL
— Liz Lurye (@LizLurye) March 6, 2019
Trump said his diploma is next to his taxes and he’s going to show it to everyone as soon as he’s president……………… pic.twitter.com/N6Z6e4f1Se
— shelly 🇺🇸 (@LFreenor) March 6, 2019
UPenn has its commencement programs available online. One doesn’t need official transcripts to know he is constantly playing in Karpman’s Triangle. He plays the persecutor from the victim’s standpoint. Thus, a malignant NPD who gaslights and projects. Walls crumble. #SummaCumLiar pic.twitter.com/ekmqrXotOS
— Reena 🟦 (@rinabobina) March 6, 2019
As a copywriter, I really love a great hook (#SummaCumLiar ). As a smartass, I love that this is coming from Kellyanne Conway’s husband… https://t.co/LMLJtVk0CM
— Word_Girl 🟧 (@Word_Grl) March 6, 2019
#SummaCumLiar C'mon, who didn't have a father who wrote a check to a school to clear up those sub par grades. Why do you think there are so many school libraries with famous named donor plaques?
— Derecho Petrichor (@zoomboom100) March 6, 2019
Woke up to see that #SummaCumLiar is trending and like honestly is it too early to be eating popcorn cuz pic.twitter.com/DAFfRVb2EB
— Megan M (@DashofSass89) March 6, 2019
The sad irony here is that while Trump frequently blasts the media as biased, he brings this all upon himself thanks to his increasingly tangled web of lies. As such, we should really be giving him credit where credit is due for bringing this story to light.