Biden ‘more mindful’ of people’s boundaries
He says his behavior has to change with the times
WASHINGTON – In a video released Wednesday, former Vice President Joe Biden promises to be more “mindful and respectful” of people’s personal space in response to allegations of unwanted and inappropriate behavior.
Biden, who is considering a bid for the White House in 2020, says his touching was all about making a “human connection.”
“It’s just who I am,” Biden says in the video. “I’ve never thought of politics as cold or antiseptic.”
He says close contact is his way of showing people he cares.
“I’ve always tried to make a human connection. That’s my responsibility, I think. I shake hands, I hug people, I grab men and women by the shoulders and say you can do this,” Biden says. “It’s the way I’ve always been. It’s the way I’ve tried to show I care about them and I’m listening.”
But he says he understands times have changed and so should his behavior. “I get it. I get it. I hear what they’re saying. I understand,” Biden says. “I’ll be much more mindful.”
“I’ll always believe that governing, quite frankly life for that matter, is about connecting with people,” he says. “That won’t change, but I will be more mindful and respectful of people’s personal space – and that’s a good thing.”
Four women accused Biden of unwanted touching and kissing.
The string of accusations started when Lucy Flores, a former member of the Nevada Legislature, accused Biden of “demeaning and disrespectful” behavior when he kissed the back of her head. In a column for New York Magazine, Flores detailed a backstage encounter with Biden during an event in 2014 in Nevada where he spoke to help boost voter turnout for Democrats.
“I felt him get closer to me from behind. He leaned further in and inhaled my hair. I was mortified,” Flores wrote. “He proceeded to plant a big slow kiss on the back of my head. My brain couldn’t process what was happening. I was embarrassed. I was shocked. I was confused.”
Since then, three other women have come forward with similar accusations, including two on Tuesday who told their stories to The New York Times.
Caitlyn Caruso told the Times that Biden put his hand on her thigh during an event about sexual assault at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Caruso, 22, said she was 19 at the time of the incident, which happened after she told her story of an assault.
“It doesn’t even really cross your mind that such a person would dare perpetuate harm like that,” she told the Times. “These are supposed to be people you can trust.”
President Donald Trump suggested at an event Tuesday that Biden may have been one of the Democrats’ best shots at taking the White House in 2020, then he cracked several jokes.
“It looks like the only non-sort-ofheavy socialist, he’s being taken care of pretty well by the socialists. They got to him, our former vice president,” Trump said. “I was going to call him. I don’t know him well. I was going to say, ‘Welcome to the world, Joe. You having a good time, Joe? Are you having a good time?’ ”