Biden boasts teaching ‘political theory’ at UPenn — but he never taught a single class at the Ivy League school
President Biden, who has never taught a single semester-long course at the University of Pennsylvania, mused on Thursday about when he used to “teach political theory” at the Ivy League school.
“Our democracy is under attack, and we got to fight for it,” Biden, 80, said during a speech at Maryland’s Prince George’s Community College.
“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.”
Biden was an honorary professor at the Philadelphia school, serving as the Benjamin Franklin presidential professor of the practice from February 2017 to April 2019, between his term in the White House as vice president and the start of his presidential campaign.
But his responsibilities never included teaching semester-long classes, conducting independent research, and handling administrative responsibilities — typical duties of professors.
Biden made a dozen or so public appearances on campus but never taught a regular class, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
One of the visits was a November 2017 event promoting his book “Promise Me, Dad,” according to the Daily Pennsylvanian.
Other Biden appearances included Q&As with UPenn administrators, one lecture to Wharton business school graduate students and public events with former Mexican President Felipe Calderon and former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
Biden reaped about $900,000 in income from the school while he held the honorary post.
The embellishment comes a day after the White House was called out for the president’s frequent factual misstatements.
“The president has lied about being at Ground Zero the day after the Sept. 11 attacks, falsely claimed he saw the Pittsburgh bridge collapse, claimed his grandfather died in the hospital days before his birth. What is going on with the president? Is he just believing things that didn’t happen did happen, or is he just randomly making stuff up?” Washington Times reporter Jeff Mordock asked White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Wednesday.
The White House spokesman dodged a question about the absent professor.
