Biden made light of his close-talking political style during a speech Friday after receiving criticism recently from women who said his close interactions with them had made them uncomfortable in the past
Fifteen minutes later, Biden invited a group of children on stage with him, shaking each of their hands. He put his arm around one child before telling the crowd: “He gave me permission to touch him,” again prompting laughter from the crowd. “I’m sorry to take so long. Everybody knows that I like kids better than people.”
Biden’s speech was his first public appearance since Lucy Flores, a former Nevada state legislator, wrote a week ago that Biden had invaded her personal space during a political event, smelling her hair and kissing the back of her head. Since then, several other women have shared stories of their own unwanted interactions Biden, who has described himself as a "tactile politician" prone to doling out hugs.
By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. After initially responding with a series of written statements, Biden on Wednesday pledged in a video to “be more mindful and respectful of people’s personal space,” though he did not apologize for the past interactions. The two-minute, direct-to-camera video posted to Twitter has more than 6 million views.
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