Joe Biden makes a surprise trip to Dublin to watch Hunter receive a gold medal at Trinity College. Then protesters throw milk cartons as he leaves
Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Trinity College in Dublin on Tuesday to see his son, Hunter Biden, accept a gold medal. The College Historical Society hosted the event to honor Hunter for his contribution to public discourse, an award that follows his recent push in the media. Jill Biden joined him at the ceremony, nearly two years after he left office.
Things turned messy as the group left the venue. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside chanting “blood on your hands,” and some threw milk cartons toward the Bidens as they exited, according to Newsweek. Police from the Gardaí public order unit were already on the scene with vans stationed nearby, and officers arrested at least two people.
The protest appeared to center on Gaza, as the war began during Joe Biden’s presidency. His administration continued to provide Israel with military aid and diplomatic support during the conflict, and a ceasefire only took effect in the final days of his term. Demonstrators reportedly surrounded the cars, chanting “genocide Joe” and “shame on you.”
Trinity students have been pushing the university on Gaza for years
Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union president Amy Kennedy accused the society of inviting someone who has “killed students across the globe” during a speech at the protest. However, Trinity’s student newspaper reported that Joe Biden had not been invited and attended the event as a guest.
The union later called on the university to revoke the honorary doctorate it awarded him in 2016. Trinity already cut ties with Israeli universities and Israel-based companies last year after mass student protests. Hunter reportedly addressed the war himself during a question-and-answer session, describing Israel’s military campaign as mass murder.
Beyond the ceremony, Joe Biden used the trip to meet with Taoiseach Micheál Martin. This trip comes at a busy time for the 83-year-old, as he prepares to release a new memoir later this month. Months after leaving office, he revealed a prostate cancer diagnosis, and Donald Trump later dismissed sympathy for him.
Biden admits the cancer is slowing down his book tour
He mentioned on Sunday that he will not be able to do as many conversations about his book as he had hoped. He noted that his doctors remain encouraged by his response to treatment. However, he admitted that some days are better than others. “It hasn’t stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down,” Biden wrote.
The book, Promise Me, America, is his way of explaining his presidency. He wants to detail the challenges he faced and the reasoning behind his decisions. He faced constant questions about his age in office, and he abandoned his reelection bid after a poor debate against Donald Trump in June 2024, as Democrats feared he could not win.
The memoir also touches on an unusual Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump shortly after the 2024 election. “You know, Joe, if it weren’t for politics, I believe we’d be good friends,” Trump told him, according to Biden. He added that Trump said, “he’d been relieved he didn’t have to run against me.”
He also wrote that “all presidents must confront a feeling that their legacy is vulnerable to the pendulum of politics and the whims of their successors.” In his case, he said the feeling was magnified by the “dismissive and destructive nature of Donald Trump,” whom he described as unable to tolerate building on someone else’s accomplishments.
A man in his 50s charged in connection with the incident is due to appear in court, while Promise Me, America is set for release on Nov. 17.
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