President Biden faced backlash on social media following his statement that he taught “political theory” at the University of Pennsylvania. Critics argued that the president was fabricating aspects of his career, as there is limited evidence to support the assertion that he taught a formal class at the university, despite being named an honorary professor there in recent years.
The president made this claim during a speech addressing economic concerns in Maryland. During his remarks, he discussed the current threats to democracy in America and referred to the expertise he purportedly gained while teaching at the University of Pennsylvania. Biden stated, “Democracy is at stake, folks. Our democracy is under attack.
And we gotta fight for it. 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.
And I found myself – it’s automatic, we didn’t have to believe it – but we do. We do.”
Social media users, however, criticized the president’s assertion that he taught at the university, questioning its accuracy. Greg Price, a conservative digital strategist, shared a clip of Biden’s statement and remarked, “Biden claims he ‘taught political theory’ at the University of Pennsylvania.
He never taught a single class at UPenn.“ Erielle Davidson, a conservative commentator, pointed out a perceived double standard among Biden’s supporters, drawing a parallel to the criticism faced by Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., over alleged falsehoods.
Vince Langman, a pro-Trump user on social media, raised concerns about whether Biden’s statement indicated lying or signs of cognitive decline. He asked, “Is this guy a late-stage dementia patient, or is he literally a serial liar? I’m not sure which is worse.” Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, the GOP national spokeswoman, commented, “Another day, Another lie,” while Jake Schneider, the GOP Rapid Response director, observed, “It’s been a minute since Biden resurrected this complete lie. Must’ve shuffled the rolodex!”
Contrary to Biden’s claims, there is scant evidence to support the assertion that he ever taught “political theory” at the University of Pennsylvania. While UPenn’s website acknowledges his role as the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Professor of Practice from 2017 to 2021, fact-checking efforts, including Snopes and Politifact, have revealed that he did not teach a traditional semester-long course load during this time.
Instead, his role was largely honorary, involving lectures and talks to students on campus. Furthermore, he was on leave during part of this period due to his presidential campaign.
It is plausible that Biden’s reference to teaching “political theory” may pertain to occasional lectures in his honorary role, but this remains uncertain. As of now, neither the White House nor the University of Pennsylvania has provided evidence to substantiate Biden’s claim.