During a portrait unveiling at his alma mater, Syracuse Law, former President Joe Biden remarked on the striking resemblance of Board of Trustees Chairman Jeffrey M. Scruggs to Barack Obama. The comment, made as Scruggs joined Biden on stage, sparked widespread online discussion and mixed reactions regarding the comparison and Biden’s delivery.
Former President Joe Biden recently found himself in the spotlight for a light-hearted yet awkward remark during a special event at his old law school. What began as a simple portrait unveiling turned into a viral moment that had people talking online about resemblance, humor, and a bit of controversy.The center of discussion at the portrait unveiling evenr was Jeffrey M. Scruggs – for his striking resemblance to former President Barack Obama.
Who is Jeffrey M. Scruggs?
Jeffrey M. Scruggs serves as the Chairman of Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees, a post which he took up in 2023 and holds till May 2027.Elected to the board in 2018, Scruggs chairs key groups like the Executive Committee and Nominating Committee while serving on all standing committees.Scruggs is a managing director at Goldman Sachs & Co., heading the Public Sector and Infrastructure banking group in the Global Banking and Markets Division since joining in 2008.
Jeffrey Scruggs, the Obama lookalike and Joe Biden (Photo: Spectrum News Syracuse/ X)
His career kicked off in 1985 as a financial analyst at PaineWebber Inc.’s municipal securities group. He later managed a $700 million loan portfolio sale for the US Department of the Interior and returned to PaineWebber (later UBS) as vice president, rising to managing director and head of public finance.
A Syracuse native who attended Nottingham High School, Scruggs prioritises student experiences and diversity initiatives on the board. He earned a bachelor’s in economics from Harvard in 1985 and an MBA as a Baker Scholar in 1991. Outside SU, he’s on Trinity School’s board in New York, including eight years chairing its Finance Committee.
Why did Biden talk about Scruggs
The buzz around Scruggs started on April 14, 2026, at SU’s College of Law portrait unveiling for Biden, a 1968 alumnus.
After honoring Biden with “President Biden, welcome home” and noting his “deep and long” ties, Scruggs stepped aside.Biden then waved for the man just off camera to come join him onstage. That man was Jeffrey M. Scruggs, the chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees.“Doesn’t he look like Barack?” the former president asked the audience, as Scruggs shook his head, seemingly disagreeing with Biden’s assessment.
“As they say, you’ve done good, fella,” Biden told Scruggs.“Well, you know, I try.”, Sruggs responded“I feel like he should be standing on the right and I should be standing on the left,” Biden said, as Scruggs and the audience shared a laugh.In the speech that followed, Biden got personal and reflective. He thanked his family, classmates, and mentors for shaping his career. He shared how Syracuse Law taught him to use the law for dignity, equality, and democracy. He traced his journey from student to public servant amid national crises and personal losses, spotlighting his late son Beau’s legacy.
He reaffirmed his dedication to “dignity, respect, fairness, equality.
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Social media is full of mixed responses
Social media split, with mixed remarks, many agreed, with X users saying, “He does look like Barack though… The hair, the face shape, the suit,” and “That dude does genuinely look like Obama, while others seemed disappointed with the way he called him out.
