Former President Donald Trump made surprising claims about his youngest daughter's educational experience during a recent address, suggesting pandemic-era cancellations were personally targeted against his family.
Trump's Controversial Claims at Saudi Investment Forum
During his Wednesday appearance at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum held at Washington's Kennedy Center, Trump aired a peculiar grievance involving his daughter Tiffany Trump's graduation from Georgetown University Law Center. According to the former president, the 2020 cancellation of Tiffany's graduation ceremony wasn't related to the global COVID-19 pandemic that shut down institutions worldwide.
"She was a great student. She went to Georgetown. She was a great, great student and she finished really right at the top and we were proud of you," Trump told the audience. "And she was so proud and her graduation got canceled because of COVID. But I say if her name was something else they probably wouldn't have canceled it."
Fact-Checking the Pandemic Cancellation
Critics were quick to challenge Trump's version of events, pointing out that Georgetown University, like thousands of educational institutions globally, canceled in-person graduation ceremonies in 2020 due to the deadly coronavirus pandemic that claimed millions of lives worldwide.
As one critic noted, Georgetown University conferred degrees through virtual ceremonies for the Class of 2020 and eventually held make-up, in-person commencement events for affected classes years later when pandemic restrictions eased. The university's decision affected all graduating students equally, regardless of their family background.
Social media responses highlighted the irony of Trump's claims, given that he was president during the initial pandemic response. "Was she the only one graduating that year?" questioned one critic, while another pointed out: "Guess he forgot he was president during the whole first year of covid."
Academic Record and Public Reaction
Trump's assertion that Tiffany graduated "right at the top" of her class also faced scrutiny. Critics noted that public records indicate Tiffany Trump, who welcomed her first child in May 2025, wasn't listed on Georgetown Law's honor rolls for her graduating class.
The public response on social media ranged from incredulous to sarcastic, with many users expressing disbelief at the suggestion that an entire university would cancel graduation ceremonies targeting one student. "Yes it's true. The whole world got together and planned a pandemic just so Tiffers couldn't go to a party," one user mocked.
Trump concluded his remarks with ironic self-awareness, telling the laughing crowd: "But other than that I have no problems. You see, I don't take anything personally." The comment drew particular attention given Trump's well-documented history of responding strongly to perceived slights.
The incident represents another example of Trump's tendency to frame events through the lens of personal persecution, even when dealing with global phenomena that affected millions of people simultaneously during one of the deadliest pandemics in modern history.
