Joe Biden’s big defense is underway –but at this point he may just be fighting for pride.
His presidential hopes are getting more and more bleak, experts say.
The former vice president has been under fire from Republicans and Democrats alike after Lucy Flores accused Biden of inappropriate touching and kissing.
Biden fired back on Monday.
“In my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort,” Biden said in a statement. “And not once – never – did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention.”
Flores, a former Democratic lieutenant governor of Nevada, first brought the accusation to light in an article published by New York Magazine. ‘Gross,’ ‘uneasy,’ and ‘confused’ were a few choice words used by flores to describe how Biden made her feel.
“‘Why is the vice-president of the United States smelling my hair?’” she wrote in New York Magazine. “He proceeded to plant a big slow kiss on the back of my head.”
For years, Biden has faced accusations of inappropriate touching and “creepy” behavior towards women.
“It’s so easy to Google ‘Creepy Biden’ and you get all these compilations of pictures and video evidence of young women and women looking very, very uncomfortable,” Flores wrote on Friday. And over the weekend a slew of photos and videos resurfaced, telling a tale of Obama’s former right hand man disturbing actions.
One moment in particular was captured. It involved Stephanie Carter, wife of former Defense secretary Ashton Carter as he was being sworn in. And off to the side, Biden appeared to be smelling Carter’s hair.
Ugh.
One thing that’s clear: Biden certainly likes to invade personal space.
Now questions loom as to whether or not this should disqualify him from the 2020 presidential race. Flores think so, along with many far-left Democrats. Though he’s not officially running just yet, Biden’s formal announcement is expected soon.
Meanwhile, his fellow cohort of 2020 candidates are silent on whether Biden should back away from the presidency. They all say that they’ve no reason not to believe Flores, a safe calling card in the #MeToo era — neither blaming Biden nor absolving him.
But with Biden surging in the polls, his rivals will surely want him out of the way. Many Democrats have a gap to make up for in the polls. And some pundits claim Flores could even be an political operative out to yank Biden down from the top of the mountain. The New York Times reported that she was a member of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ I-V.T. camp and recently attended a Beto O’Rourke rally over the weekend.
It seems the Democrats may have some knots to untangle.
Watch the ‘Creepy Biden’ montage below:
The Horn editorial team