Whartonites' Disassociation from Alum Donald Trump

Image: Andrew Cline/ Shutterstock.com

Disassociation with Donald Trump appears to be the aim of the game following the recent release of leaked 2005 recordings which capture the presidential candidate making vulgar comments about women. Trump does cut a striking, if unusual figure on the political stage. Distinct from the so-called normal 'class' of politician, Trump's language is unrestrained, his opinions vociferous and his position on many issues a clear affront to the sensibilities of those seeking a more inclusive and equal society. A Trump peculiarity is his reliance on self-inflating statements to command respect; statements, the public release of which, could yet bury his chances of succeeding in this electoral battle.

"When you're a star, they let you do it," Trump says when describing unsolicited advances towards women in the newly released video dating back to 2005. The tape has caused Republicans to drop their backing for Trump en masse. Self-aggrandising comments, be they implicitly misogynistic or other, appear to come as a reflex for Trump and, very often it seems, to his own detriment.

Many in the Wharton community are likely to be watching the unravelling of this week's Trump drama with pointed curiosity. In July, current and former Wharton students and faculty penned an open letter to Trump, with the headline, " You Do Not Represent Us." This letter was a reaction to Trump substantiating his claims to the presidency with repeated assertions of his Wharton pedigree, "I went to the Wharton School of Finance, I was a really good student, it`s probably the hardest school of the race to get in ..." he said in 2015, referring to the school’s original name, the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce (which has not been in use since 1972) and adding later in the same interview, “we need business genius in this country.” Trump’s stint at Wharton was in fact brief. Transferring as a junior from Fordham University he graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1968. With his business mogul status and brags about his Wharton credentials, many would have naturally concluded that Trump was a Wharton MBA – this is not the case.

Now that Trump supporters through the upper political echelons are visibly withdrawing support for his candidacy, it seems likely that, in parallel, the list of alumni, faculty and student signatories defending Wharton's open letter gathers momentum. Not only is the Grand Old Party (GOP) turning its back, but his alma matter appears to be doing the same - a reflection, perhaps, of the current contagion of unease.

Wharton's stance on Trump

There is in fact no official line on the Wharton School's stance on Trump. The 2007 Wharton alumni magazine, in commemoration of Wharton's 125th anniversary, does, under 'influential people' list the (now) presidential candidate as the 'best-known brand name in real estate.' The same listing goes on to describe the business leader and politician as having, "produced doubters," but that he, "rises phoenix-like, from everything from corporate travails to satire." It also expresses that, "even when he plays himself, each performance is a tour de force," - a viewpoint unlikely to incite much debate.

The swathe of Wharton signatories signing this year's open letter do however defend a very concrete view on the respectability of Trump's candidacy. "We do express our unequivocal stance against the xenophobia, sexism, racism, and other forms of bigotry that you have actively and implicitly endorsed in your campaign,” the letter states. With the number of Trump's slurs mounting, almost all of which go viral, and with the US election less than a month away, a gathering disquiet seems certain to align more people to this Wharton standpoint. The letter goes on to say that, “we are dedicated to promoting inclusion not only because diversity and tolerance have been repeatedly proven to be valuable assets to any organization’s performance, but also because we believe in mutual respect and human dignity as deeply held values. Your insistence on exclusion and scapegoating would be bad for business and bad for the American economy.”

Scapegoating was a notable currency during the first and second presidential debates with the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, and is likely a tactic to be used once more in the upcoming debate on Wednesday, October 19. While these presidential debates have turned into a sort of extravaganza, a three-part series and reality show that is drawing record-breaking viewing figures, it is perhaps best not to get carried away by the circus-like quality of the action. The Wharton open letter points straight to what defines Trump as a presidential candidate, it points to the fabric that makes Trump's public persona. The letter to Trump is not only a pledge of disassociation, but perhaps an open request to defend the values of inclusion, tolerance and diversity.