Joe Biden Claimed He Attended Historically Black University; University Disagrees

Delaware State University (DSU) has refuted Joe Biden’s claim that he attended the historically black institution — the latest example of Biden being caught embellishing his academic credentials.

Biden made the little-noticed claim in October 2019, as he was campaigning in South Carolina:

The Washington Times reported Friday:

Carlos Holmes, director of news service for Delaware State, said that Mr. Biden was never a student, although he has made appearances twice on campus for commencement speeches at the public university in Dover, one of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

“Vice President Biden did not attend DSU,” said Mr. Holmes in a Thursday email. “However he was the Commencement keynote speaker in 2003 and [2016], and during the former he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree.”

Mr. Biden made the claim ahead of the South Carolina Democratic primary during a town hall held Oct. 26, 2019, at historic Wilson High School in Florence, which was founded in 1866 by the Freedmen’s Bureau for Black children seeking an education.

“I got started out of an HBCU, Delaware State — now, I don’t want to hear anything negative about Delaware State,” Mr. Biden told the audience, drawing laughter, as shown on video. “They’re my folks.”

In his 2007 biography, Promises to Keep, Biden never mentions Delaware State University, though he describes his experience at the University of Delaware.

The university’s website notes:

DSU enjoys a long history as one of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Founded in 1891 as the State College for Colored Students, DSU is proud of our heritage as one of the country’s first land-grant educational institutions. Today, we’re a welcome center of learning for students from many backgrounds. Our current population includes a 63% African-American enrollment and an increasing number of Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian and other international students.

Public statistics suggest that nearly 10% of the student body today is white.

Biden’s false claims about his academic record helped destroy his first presidential campaign in 1987. Among other claims, Biden said he had graduated in the top half of his law school class. He graduated near the bottom.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His newest e-book is The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.