As Hot Air’s Karen Townsend notes, President Joe Biden is fond of storytelling. He’s well known for embellishing crucial details for dramatic effect.
And it appears he’s done it again.
While speaking to U.S. Naval Academy graduates at this weekend’s commencement ceremony, the commander-in-chief attempted to regale the crowd with a story about whether to serve his country or build on his high school sports achievements.
Biden likes to discuss dabbling in college athletics at the University of Delaware. However, Biden told the midshipman he applied for the Naval Academy in 1965 with a letter of recommendation from U.S. Sen. J. Caleb Boggs.
The New York Post has more on Biden’s speech:
“I was told the Class of ’72 is here. I was appointed to the academy in 1965 by a senator who I was running against in 1972 — never planned it that way. I wasn’t old enough to be sworn in. I was only 29 years old when I was running,” Biden said.
“He was a fine man. His name is J. Caleb Boggs,” the president went on. “I didn’t come to the academy because I wanted to be a football star. And you had a guy named [Roger] Staubach and [Joe] Bellino here. So I went to Delaware.”
In 1965 Biden would have been graduating from the University of Delaware, and Annapolis doesn’t offer graduate courses. Moreover, Biden received five deferments from the draft, raising doubts about his commitment to serve.
By the time Biden left the University of Delaware, President Johnson had already accepted Gen. Westmoreland’s request for 44 combat battalions in Vietnam.
Instead, Biden pursued a career in politics as soon as he earned his law degree from Syracuse University.
The Post adds:
“But all kidding aside,” Biden continued on Friday, “the best line of the debate was after it’s all over, the announcer, the questioner — who was a good guy, but supported my opponent, who was a good man as well, I might add — and he said, ‘Sen. Boggs, is there anything else you want to say?’ And he said, ‘Yes, just one thing.’ And he took the microphone. He said, ‘You know, Joe, if you accepted my commission to the — my appointment to the academy,’ he said, ‘you’d still have one year and three months’ active duty and I’d have no problems right now.’”
It’s unclear if Biden has told the story before, but it surprised political journalists who have covered his many campaigns and his presidency. Biden’s 2008 autobiography “Promises to Keep” does not mention the Naval Academy.
This article originally appeared in American Liberty News. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Republican Standard. Republished with permission.