WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden's recent speech at Prince George Community College in Maryland raised eyebrows when he made a peculiar claim about his academic past.
Despite only having served as a visiting fellow and honorary professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Biden asserted that he had taught political theory there for four years.
This statement, along with several other recent inaccuracies, has spurred a closer examination of his claims and their implications.
Joe Biden claims he taught political theory at UPenn
During his address Thursday afternoon, September 14, President Biden shifted the focus of his speech from economic matters to the state of democracy, asserting that it is "under attack."
He then made a surprising statement, saying, "I taught at the University of Pennsylvania for four years, and I used to teach political theory. And folks, you always hear, every generation has to fight for Democracy."
However, a detailed investigation into Biden's tenure at the University of Pennsylvania reveals that while he served as the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Professor of the Practice from 2017 to 2019, there is no concrete record of him teaching regular classes during this period.
His interactions with the university were primarily centered around Q&A sessions and public events, including one with former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, which reportedly paid him $900,000.
Furthermore, Biden's claim of teaching political theory appears to be unsubstantiated by any official records or course materials.
That said, he did deliver one speech at the university's Wharton School of Economics -- an alma mater of former President Trump -- making the irony of the situation palpable.
In 2018, the University of Pennsylvania established the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington, DC, which was meant to serve as a platform for his diplomatic efforts.
However, recent revelations have raised questions about the handling of classified material in the office he maintained at this think tank, leading to an FBI investigation.
Joe Biden trolled on social media
The discrepancy between President Biden's claims and the actual nature of his involvement with the University of Pennsylvania has not gone unnoticed on social media, where he faced a barrage of criticism.
"...sounds like he taught them political reality, not theory," one tweeted.
"He was also a truck driver and a miner. Busy guy," another wrote.
"They gotta ask him if he walked on the moon," someone else quipped.
"He's either a late-stage dementia patient or a serial liar. I'm not sure which is worse," another wondered.
Biden's tendency to make inaccurate statements and factual errors has become a cause for concern, particularly given his age.
At 80, he is the oldest-ever president in US history, and recent polling data indicates that a significant portion of the public views him as too advanced in age to serve another term.
Joe Biden's history of false claims
One of the most notable instances of Biden's age-related misstatements occurred in May when he falsely claimed that his son, Beau, had been killed while serving in Iraq.
The assertion was made during a visit with United States troops stationed in Japan, where he stated, "Just imagine - I mean it sincerely - I say this as a father of a man who won the Bronze Star, the Conspicuous Service Medal, and lost his life in Iraq. Imagine the courage, the daring, and the genuine sacrifice - genuine sacrifice they all made."
This was not an isolated incident. In October 2022, during a speech at Camp Hale in Colorado, Biden once again claimed that Beau had died in Iraq. The President seemed deeply affected by this misconception, emphasizing the sacrifice made by military personnel and their families.
Another bewildering moment occurred in Florida in November when Biden, in the midst of discussing inflation and international conflicts, momentarily confused the War in Ukraine with the War in Iraq.
He stated, "Inflation is a worldwide problem right now. There's a war in Iraq and the impact on oil and what Russia's doing. Excuse me, the war in Ukraine."
Throughout his presidency, President Biden has consistently linked his own service and the military's use of burn pits to his son Beau's brain cancer diagnosis.
In 2019, he spoke emotionally about Beau's battle with stage 4 glioblastoma, stating, "In my view, I can't prove it yet, he came back with stage 4 glioblastoma. Eighteen months he lived, knowing he was going to die."
However, President Biden has not been immune to criticism for his frequent references to Beau in military speeches. Some have argued that he should avoid invoking his son's memory for political purposes, as it can be seen as exploiting a personal tragedy for rhetorical effect.
