Former President Joe Biden reportedly made a couple of gaffes during a private event Wednesday at Harvard University during which he praised the college. Biden confused Iraq with Ukraine, with a former aide correcting him, and later dropped an ice cream bar.
Why It Matters
Biden was forced to abandon his bid for reelection following a series of gaffes and a poor presidential debate against President Donald Trump in June 2024.
The White House has withheld federal money from several universities to pressure institutions to comply with Trump’s political agenda. The president this week denied Harvard $2.2 billion in funding and $60 million in contracts and the college has vowed it will “not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights” to the federal government.
A Harvard spokesperson told The Harvard Crimson that Biden and Harvard President Alan Garber did not meet on Wednesday.
What To Know
Biden reportedly attended the small, private event at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) as part of an Institute of Politics (IOP) seminar in which he celebrated the university’s response to Trump’s demands, according to The Harvard Crimson.
The publication reported that select HKS students were invited to the study group, but were previously unaware what the event entailed or who would be speaking.
“Harvard stepped up in a way no one else has,” Biden reportedly said, according to two students who attended the event. “You should be really thankful.”
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During the afternoon event attended by some 50 students, Biden, 82, reportedly confused Ukraine and Iraq when discussing the continuing war in Eastern Europe. He was corrected by former White House senior adviser Mike Donilon, who is currently a spring resident fellow at IOP and worked on Biden’s reelection campaign.
Another scene reportedly involved Biden biting into a melting ice cream bar, only for the dessert to fall to the floor.
Biden’s four years in office were marred with gaffes that resulted in some scrutiny regarding his mental fitness and ability to serve a second term.
His words and behavior drew constant criticism from Republicans who questioned his mental acuity. Gaffes like falling up the stairs of Air Force One and reading teleprompter instructions aloud became conservative fodder that escalated as the years progressed.
Perhaps nothing drew widespread attention than Biden’s debate performance with Donald Trump in June 2024, which included the Democrat trailing off during responses.
It almost instantly resulted in calls from prominent Democrats and donors for the then-sitting president to bow out of his campaign and provide another candidate with the time and financial resources to potentially defeat Trump.
He ultimately stepped aside from his reelection campaign in 2024, allowing former Vice President Kamala Harris to eventually take the reins as the Democratic Party nominee.
What People Are Saying
Former President Barack Obama wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday: “Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions—rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope other institutions follow suit.”
Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York posted to X on Monday: “Harvard University has rightfully earned its place as the epitome of the moral and academic rot in higher education. Fueled by the radical groupthink Far Left faculty, inept University leadership, donations by foreign adversaries, and pro-Hamas terrorists, Harvard has fully embraced and tolerated the raging antisemitism threatening the lives and physical safety of Jewish students on campus.
What Happens Next
On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminated nearly $3 million in grants to Harvard University. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the department terminated $2.7 million and ordered Harvard to “Prove Compliance with Foreign Student Requirements.”
