Penn reportedly did not have any interest in hosting Joe Biden's presidential library amid their souring relationship

Fallon Roth, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sep 18, 2025

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PHILADELPHIA — The University of Pennsylvania did not have any interest in hosting former President Joe Biden’s post-presidential center as the 46th president had previously claimed, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

Earlier this month, Biden embarked on establishing his presidential library in his home state of Delaware, ending months of speculation as to whether the Scranton-born former president would found it in Pennsylvania or elsewhere.

Biden jump-started his political career in Delaware and served as the state’s U.S. senator for 36 years.

Biden’s ties to Penn through his children and grandchildren and the establishment of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in 2018 had fueled speculation of a potential Philadelphia library, but The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources, that the Ivy League school “wasn’t eager to play the role” of hosting Biden’s presidential library.

The university’s relationship with the former president apparently had soured in recent times.

A university spokesperson told the Journal that Penn “was never asked or in conversations about hosting the library.”

Biden is slowly raising money for the library, the Journal reported.

The Journal reported that Penn felt wronged by the partnership with Biden because the first batch of classified documents from his time at the White House was found at the Penn Biden Center. And the university was also reportedly unimpressed by Biden’s light programming for the center.

Other parts of Biden’s post-presidential life appear to have been less glamorous than expected. The former president, 82, has had trouble landing big jobs due to his age, unpopularity, or a fear of retaliation from President Donald Trump, the Journal reported. Meanwhile, he is fighting cancer and there are some concerns about finances within the Biden family.

Even key Biden allies have become critical of his presidency.

In her book, "107 Days," former Vice President Kamala Harris detailed a tense relationship with the White House and said Biden’s decision to run for reelection — before dropping out — was “recklessness.” The book is set to be released on Sept. 23 and will be promoted at the Met Philadelphia on her book tour two days later.

Biden is working on his own book, securing a $10 million deal that will likely help his finances and is expected to chronicle the former president’s years in government.