Harvard's storied satirical magazine pulled an elaborate prank on Donald Trump
A rivalry between two Harvard University student publications hilariously escalated this summer, to the point where one group not only pranked the other in epic fashion, but also Donald Trump.
It all started when staffers from the humor publication Harvard Lampoon stole The Harvard Crimson's treasured president's chair. The group's president asked for it back, but the pranksters had bigger plans underway. Weeks later, they published a parody Crimson editorial endorsing Donald Trump for president, complete with a photo of Trump sitting in the chair, surrounded by Lampoon staffers purporting to work for The Crimson.
The editorial, which the Lampoon staff wrote to the Trump campaign about their plans to publish, was a gem, as described by The Crimson:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
An article, emblazoned with the headline "Crimson Endorses Trump for President" and signed "The Crimson Staff," cropped up online, claiming to tout the newspaper's support for the billionaire Republican primary candidate's bid for the presidency in 2016. Among other points, it dubbed him "a celebrity above all" and "the most formidable and competitive candidate on the Republican side." It also espoused his job creation record—specifically the supposed good work of The Celebrity Apprentice a reality show Trump has hosted. The editorial reasoned that the show helped "inactive or troubled" celebrities regain their fame and thus created jobs. [The Harvard Crimson]
The Crimson, being a typical college newspaper, has a history of endorsing Democrats.
-
A running list of everything Trump has named or renamed after himselfIn Depth The Kennedy Center is the latest thing to be slapped with Trump’s name
-
Do oil companies really want to invest in Venezuela?Today’s Big Question Trump claims control over crude reserves, but challenges loom
-
‘Despite the social benefits of venting, people can easily overdo it’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
