US EditionJoe Biden to deliver remarks alongside portrait unveiling at alma mater Syracuse University
The portrait by Michael Shane Neal will hang in the College of Law, where Biden graduated in 1968.
- On Tuesday, Former President Joe Biden unveiled his official portrait at Syracuse University College of Law, where he called Board of Trustees Chairman Jeffrey Scruggs "Barack" and repeatedly urged him back onstage, drawing laughter from attendees.
- Painted by Michael Shane Neal, the oil portrait will hang permanently in the Dineen Hall Law Library. Biden graduated from the institution in 1968, ranking 76th out of 85 in his class.
- Gesturing to Scruggs, Biden joked, "I always want to turn around to one guy and say, 'Barack, what are you doing?'" The comment drew laughter from the crowd, though Scruggs appeared hesitant before returning to the podium.
- This event represents one of the former president's few public appearances since leaving office in January 2025, as he continues managing advanced prostate cancer after completing radiation therapy in October 2025.
- Scruggs highlighted Biden's enduring ties to the university, referencing his 2009 commencement address and video messages to the classes of 2021 and 2023 that offered inspiration during the global pandemic.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Biden awkwardly pulls trustee into spotlight and calls him ‘Barack’ at portrait unveiling – Democratic Accent
Former President Joe Biden raised eyebrows Tuesday at Syracuse University after making an awkward onstage remark comparing a Black member of the school’s Board of Trustees to former President Barack Obama. Biden returned to his alma mater Tuesday to celebrate the unveiling of his portrait, which will be permanently displayed in the law school’s Law Library Reading Room. Video shows Biden speaking at the podium, addressing the law school’s leader…
Biden awkwardly pulls trustee into spotlight and calls him ‘Barack’ at portrait unveiling
Joe Biden interrupted his Syracuse speech after appearing to mistake a black man for Barack Obama, drawing laughs from the audience at his alma mater's portrait unveiling.
Biden Pulls Black Man On Stage, Says He Looks Like Barack Obama In Bizarre Moment
President Joe Biden was involved in a head-scratching interaction when he returned to his alma mater, Syracuse University, for the unveiling of his official portrait at the College of Law’s Dineen Hall. Biden, who graduated from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968, traveled to the university for the ceremony on Tuesday afternoon. The private ceremony featured the display of an oil-on-canvas portrait painted by artist Michael Shane Neal, w…
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