At the Inaugural Energy and Innovation Summit held at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump made headlines for more than just economic announcements, launching into a bizarre and historically questionable monologue involving his uncle, an MIT professor, and the infamous Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski.
During his speech, Trump abruptly diverted from the summit’s energy-focused agenda to reference his uncle, Dr. John Trump, a longtime professor at MIT.
“My uncle was at MIT, one of the great professors. 51 years, whatever… three degrees in nuclear, chemical, and math. Kaczynski was one of his students? Do you know who that is? There is very little difference between a madman and a genius,” Trump said unexpectedly during the event.
Continuing his off-script remarks, Trump added, “I said, ‘What kind of a student was he, Uncle John, Doctor John Trump?’ He said, ‘Seriously good.’ But it didn’t work out too well for him, didn’t work out too well,” he quipped, referring to Kaczynski, told the Daily Beast
However, Trump’s claim that his uncle taught the notorious domestic terrorist is historically dubious. Ted Kaczynski, widely known as the Unabomber, attended Harvard University, not MIT. He was a mathematical prodigy who entered Harvard at age 16 on a scholarship after skipping two grades. There is no documented evidence that he studied under or had any academic connection to Dr. John Trump.
Dr. John Trump, indeed a respected MIT professor with a long tenure from 1936 to 1980, made notable contributions in engineering and physics. Despite his credentials, there is no indication his path ever crossed with Kaczynski, who later taught math at the University of California, Berkeley, before beginning a 17-year domestic terror campaign that killed three people and injured 23.
Kaczynski’s bombing spree, which targeted individuals associated with advancing modern technology, ended with his arrest in 1996. The FBI labeled him a “twisted genius,” and his story continues to fascinate and disturb the public. Trump’s remarks came shortly after his more structured appearance on the White House lawn for a press event.
He was introduced at the summit by Senator Dave McCormick, who praised the president for bringing national attention and investments to Pennsylvania. “Your presence and those commitments showcase Pennsylvania’s story to the world,” McCormick said.
Trump later announced a major $92 billion investment commitment from 20 companies in the technical, agricultural, and energy sectors, calling it the “biggest private investment in Pennsylvania history” and a “triumphant day for the people of the commonwealth and the United States of America.”