Seriously, what is Biden smoking?
President Biden faced a barrage of criticism from social media users following his assertion that he had taught “political theory” at the University of Pennsylvania.
According to Fox, detractors accused the President of fabricating a fictional narrative, suggesting that there was insufficient evidence to support his claim of ever instructing a class at the institution, despite having been bestowed the title of an honorary professor there in recent years.
Biden made this statement during a speech addressing economic issues in Maryland on Thursday afternoon. While discussing the current threats to democracy in the United States, he cited his purported experience gained while teaching at the University of Pennsylvania.
In his speech, the 46th President emphasized the challenges faced by democracy and alluded to his expertise in recognizing these challenges, which he claimed to have acquired during his time as a teacher at the University of Pennsylvania.
Biden stated, “Democracy is in jeopardy, my fellow citizens. Our democracy is under attack, and we must defend it. I taught at the University of Pennsylvania for four years, teaching political theory. And, folks, you often hear that every generation must fight for democracy. Well, I found myself doing just that – it became second nature to us, a duty we couldn’t ignore.”
Social media users, particularly on the X platform (formerly Twitter), were quick to cast doubt on the President’s assertion that he had taught at the university, accusing him of inventing this claim.
Greg Price, a conservative digital strategist, shared the clip and commented on X, “Biden claims he ‘taught political theory’ at the University of Pennsylvania. He never taught a single class at UPenn.”
Author Carol Roth playfully ridiculed Biden by stating, “Biden’s fanciful life story sounds quite entertaining and intriguing.”
Conservative commentator Erielle Davidson insinuated a double standard among Biden’s supporters when it came to politicians accused of lying, writing, “Everyone was up in arms about George Santos, but apparently, when Biden does it, it’s acceptable,” alluding to allegations of Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., having a history of dishonesty.
GOP national spokeswoman Madison Gesiotto Gilbert weighed in, saying, “Yet another day, yet another lie.”
As social media critics of Biden pointed out, there is scant evidence to support his claim of teaching “political theory” at the University of Pennsylvania. While UPenn’s official website acknowledges his role as the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Professor of Practice from 2017 to 2021, a Snopes.com fact-check on a previous, but similar assertion – that he was a “full professor at the University of Pennsylvania” for four years – revealed that “he did not teach a semester’s worth of courses” during that time.
However, Snopes did clarify that this position was honorary, involving lectures and talks with students on campus, rather than a full-fledged teaching role.
WATCH:
Biden claims he "taught political theory" at the University of Pennsylvania.
He never taught a single class at UPenn. pic.twitter.com/i7Or2dfp4k
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 14, 2023