Fact check: No, Joe Biden didn’t claim he attended a historically Black college in Delaware

Chris Mueller, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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The claim: Biden said he attended Delaware State University, a historically Black college

President Joe Biden made a reference to his personal connection with the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities at a campaign rally days before the midterm elections.

“I’m a big fan of HBCUs,” said Biden, speaking Nov. 1 at Florida Memorial University, a historically Black school in Miami Gardens. “I got my start at one of those other HBCUs – Delaware State University.”

Some social media users claimed Biden, who is a 1965 graduate of the University of Delaware, was falsely stating that he attended Delaware State University.

“We have a major LIAR in charge of our country,” reads a Nov. 2 Facebook post. “Biden Says He Went to Historically Black College, Delaware State University. He LIED! He went to the University of Delaware.”

The claim also spread on Twitter, where several posts were retweeted hundreds of times.

But the claim is false. Biden's comment was a reference to how he announced his first campaign for U.S. Senate at Delaware State University in 1972. He has talked publicly about that event before, including during his 2020 presidential campaign.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment.

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Biden announced his 1972 U.S. Senate run at Delaware State University

Biden's comments were referencing his political start, not his educational start – as he has in prior speeches.

Carlos Holmes, a spokesperson for Delaware State University, told USA TODAY, confirmed Biden was referencing the campaign launch.

"He made separate announcements in all three Delaware counties, all on the same day," Holmes said. "In Kent County – the central county – the announcement event took place at then-Delaware State College."

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Biden made a similar reference while campaigning in South Carolina during the 2020 presidential campaign. At the first presidential debate that year, then-President Donald Trump falsely claimed Biden had forgotten the name of his college and said he had attended Delaware State University, PolitiFact reported.

The Associated Press and Reuters also debunked the claim.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that Biden said he attended Delaware State University, a historically Black college. . Biden was referencing where his political career started, not where he attended college.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: No, Biden didn’t say he went to Delaware State University