Joe Biden Reportedly Emailed Officials at UPenn About Grandkid's Application

President Joe Biden's engagement with the University of Pennsylvania's admissions process has come under scrutiny, with reports indicating his involvement in discussions about his granddaughter's application. Emails and text messages exchanged between Biden, former Penn President Amy Gutmann, and then-Dean of Admissions Eric Furda over several years shed light on the depth of this relationship. While these communications do not suggest direct advantages for the POTUS' relatives, they reveal a personalized approach to the admissions process.

Based on texts and emails seen by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Joe spoke with then-President Gutmann and then-Dean of Admissions Furda at least twice in December 2018 and March 2019 about the progress of his granddaughter's Penn application. According to three people, the correspondence came from a duplicate laptop hard drive that belonged to Joe's son, Hunter Biden. Hunter is the father of two college graduates: Maisy Biden (2023) and Finnegan Biden (2021). It is not evident from the correspondence that either party had a special advantage during the admissions process. Republican critics of Joe have capitalized on his ties with Penn and its long-term former president, Gutmann, to support unproven claims of impropriety and corruption. 

The text messages and emails offer an intimate glimpse into one aspect of this relationship. The Washington Free Beacon and The Wall Street Journal have previously published stories about the discussions between Joe, Gutmann, and Furda regarding his grandchildren's applications; however, the Daily Pennsylvanian looked into further proof of confidential correspondence between administrators and Joe's friends, family, and confidants.

Attorney Abbe Lowell for Hunter told the Journal in February 2023, "Like countless parents, Mr. Biden has been an involved and supportive father in his children’s education." "Because he loves his children and is fiercely protective of their well-being as private citizens and young adults, he is not going to indulge in invasive, partisan attempts by the media or others seeking to probe their private lives, especially in a time where families are being threatened and attacked," as per Radar Online.

Experts who spoke to The Daily Pennsylvanian viewed Joe Biden's connection with Penn as a prime example of how elite universities often favor well-connected individuals in their admissions process, even extending this treatment to the family of the US president. A request for comment from Penn was denied, and a statement from university admissions stated, "We do not comment on applicants." 

On December 14, 2018, one day after the Class of 2023 early decision results were made public, Joe texted Hunter, saying, "Had great talk with Guttman." In his subsequent letter, Joe stated that his granddaughter was "still in the game for regular acceptance …. But must do well in class this period .… It’s real." According to the text exchanges, Hunter's youngest daughter applied to Penn in the autumn of 2018 through the Early Decision Program; nevertheless, her application was eventually taken into consideration during the Regular Decision.