Biden’s manner draws scrutiny
FORMER Vice President Joe Biden has defended his interactions with women, saying he doesn’t believe he’s ever acted inappropriately.
But a Nevada politician’s assertion that Biden’s kiss on the back of her head made her feel uncomfortable prompted some Democrats to question whether the 76-year-old is too out of step with his own party to run a successful 2020 presidential campaign.
The episode, recounted by Democrat Lucy Flores, highlighted an aspect of Biden’s persona that has been publicly known for years: the affectionate whispers, hugs and shoulder squeezes he has long doled out to women, often on camera and at high-profile public events.
In a moment of national reckoning over sexual harassment and the treatment of women by powerful men, some Democrats said Biden’s actions have taken on a new light.
“It looks different in 2019,” said Maria Cardona, a Democratic strategist. Cardona said that while Biden’s behaviour is not automatically disqualifying for the presidency, “it all depends on how he continues to respond to this. He has to acknowledge that his behaviour made some women uncomfortable.”
In a statement on Sunday, Biden said it was never his intention to make women feel discomfort and if he did so, “I will listen respectfully”.
Several women who worked for Biden stepped forward over the weekend to vouch for his character.
And Stephanie Carter, the wife of former Defence Secretary Ash Carter, disputed characterisations of her interactions with Biden during her husband’s swearing-in ceremony.
Pictures of the then-vice president whispering in Carter’s
JOE BIDEN ... IS A CLOSE FRIEND HELPING SOMEONE GET THROUGH A BIG DAY, FOR WHICH I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL STEPHANIE CARTER
ear and placing his hands on her shoulders ricocheted across the internet at the time.
“The Joe Biden in my picture is a close friend helping someone get through a big day, for which I will always be grateful,” Carter wrote in a post on the website Medium.
Flores’ account of the 2014 incident comes at a crucial moment for Biden. He’s been wrestling for months with a final decision on whether to run for president, blowing through several self-imposed deadlines. Advisers are now eyeing an announcement later in April. But the Democratic primary has sped on without him, with more than a dozen candidates in the race.