Joe Biden To Headline Invite-Only Event at Harvard Wednesday Afternoon

Former United States President Joe Biden will speak at the Institute of Politics on Wednesday afternoon for an off-the-record study group with his long-time adviser Mike Donilon, a spring fellow at the IOP.

Biden’s scheduled appearance on campus was confirmed by an invitee and multiple members of the IOP.

The visit comes as national Democratic leaders, including Former President Barack Obama, applaud Harvard’s decision to reject demands from the Trump administration. The White House moved to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard hours after University President Alan M. Garber ’76 pledged not to “surrender.”

Select students from the Harvard Kennedy School were invited to the study group with Biden on Tuesday afternoon, but were not told the details of the event or who the guest was. They were asked to arrive at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum between 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The event was not published ahead of time on the Institute of Politics website. Students who serve as associates to Donilon — and are typically guaranteed access to study groups — were not invited to the event, according to a member of the IOP.

A Harvard Kennedy School spokesperson would not confirm Biden’s presence at HKS on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Biden could not be reached for comment.

HKS tightened security in anticipation of the event, closing off access to the first floor of the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday. An email sent to HKS affiliates attributed the closures to “a private IOP event for a visitor.”

The invitation told attendees to expect “screening similar to what you might experience at an airport.”

—Staff writer Elise A. Spenner can be reached at elise.spenner@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @EliseSpenner.