"Barron did not apply to Harvard, and any assertion that he, or that anyone on his behalf, applied is completely false," the first lady said in a statement to The Palm Beach Post. Barron Trump recently finished his freshman year at New York University's Stern School of Business.

With its unparalleled resources, Harvard is likely positioned better than any other university to fund a multi-pronged defense against President Trump.

On Monday, he threatened to redirect $3bn in Harvard research funding to vocational schools. On Tuesday, the White House sent a letter to federal agencies, instructing them to review the approximately $100m in contracts the government has awarded Harvard and "find alternative vendors" where possible.