President Biden has found himself at the center of a social media storm after claiming he taught “political theory” at the University of Pennsylvania.
Biden’s Teaching Claims
Biden made the comments in an address on the state of the economy in Maryland. He took a moment to reflect on the current threats to American democracy before going on to make a claim that has left people perplexed – that he taught political theory at the University of Pennsylvania for four years.
Doubts and Criticism
Social media users were quick to react to Biden’s statement – and responses varied. Conservative digital strategist Greg Price was one of the first to speak out, boldly claiming that Biden never taught a single class at UPenn.
A Pretend Life
Carol Roth, an author, responded to Biden’s claims humorously. She said his assertion was part of an entertaining and enjoyable “pretend life.” She wrote: “Biden’s pretend life sounds very fun and interesting.”
A Perceived Double Standard
Erielle Davidson is a conservative commentator. She used the situation to point out a perceived double standard when it comes to the public response to lying politicians. “Everyone screamed about George Santos but when Biden does it, it’s apparently fine,” she wrote.
A Call for Fact-Checking
Derek Hunter, a conservative podcast host, called for two prominent fact-checkers, Daniel Dale and Glenn Kessler, to scrutinize the claim. Meanwhile, GOP national spokesperson Madison Gesiotto Gilbert said: “Another day, another lie.”
Fact-Checking the Claim
Efforts to fact-check Biden’s claim have uncovered some interesting information. He did, in fact, serve as the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2021.
Biden’s Honorary Role
While Biden did hold a role in the university, there are doubts about his claims in regard to teaching. Reportedly, his role was honorary and he did not teach a full semester’s worth of classes. Instead, he delivered lectures and talks to students on campus.
Unresolved Questions and the Call for Evidence
Despite the fact-checking efforts, some significant questions remain unanswered. Most notably, it’s unclear whether Biden’s claim of teaching “political theory” referred to his occasional lectures or whether there were additional undisclosed details.
The Importance of Transparency and Accuracy
President Biden’s claim of teaching “political theory” at the University of Pennsylvania is likely far from a lie; his occasional lectures probably did fall into that realm. Regardless, the criticism from the right highlights the importance of transparency and accuracy. If a politician leaves something slightly open to interpretation, it opens the doors for heavy criticism from their opponents.
The Wider Internet’s Response
News of Biden’s claims and the right’s response to it was shared across social media. Everyone had an opinion to share – and most seemingly agreed with the aforementioned conservative individuals.
A Pathological Liar
One person wrote: “Joe Biden is a pathological liar. He’s been a liar his entire life. He was drummed out of the presidential campaign in 1988 for his outlandish lies which were exposed and he was publicly shamed.”
Over 100 Years Old
Another individual said: “That’s all well and good outside of the part where none of it is true. If you added up the years from all of the jobs that he’s lied about having, he would have to be 120 years old.”
Calling On Democrats
Others called on the Democrats to point out Biden’s alleged lies. One person said: “Oh my freaking God. Every time he gives a speech, he makes up a story. Democrats and the media need to start calling him out on all these lies!”
The Smartest Human
Interestingly, a lot of the comments made by conservative individuals could’ve been equally applied to right-wing political figures like Donald Trump. Describing Biden, one person said: “Maybe he just lives in his own fantasy world where he is the smartest person on the planet.”
In Defense of Biden
Some people did defend Biden. “Biden served as Benjamin Franklin Presidential Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania between his tenure as vice president and the start of his presidential campaign,” one person said.
Haters Don’t Read
Replying to the aforementioned individual’s attempt at sharing the truth, another person said: “Thank you for posting facts. Haters do not take the time to read or research. Joe Biden has no reason to lie.”
Not an Actual Professor
Echoing the aforementioned commenters, one person said: “Actually, he did – during his years between being VP [and] POTUS. But he taught a course as an honorary, adjunct professor. Not even close to an actual, credentialed professor, who has worked their way up through the ranks for years.”
He Didn’t Say He Was Credentialed
Replying to the previous commenter, another said: “He didn’t say anything about himself being a credentialed prof. Visiting people teach all [the] time at colleges about their own specific field of expertise.”
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