Joe Biden has really got a history of making women uncomfortable (and we’re not talking about his politics here…)
Two more women have accused Biden of inappropriately touching them, bringing the tally to 4 total claims against him.
It’s yet to unfold whether or not these accusations will stop Biden, whom the Democrats worshipped as a seasoned icon of their party before this recent scandal, from running for 2020 presidential candidate.
Some of his own party members, such as Elizabeth Warren, have recently turned against him in light of the recent allegations, but others, such as Nancy Pelosi, are playing down the claims as just part of Biden’s “affectionate” personality.
It will be interesting to see how many Democrats are still standing by his side by the time this news cools down.
Let’s see what Twitter has to say about gool ol’ “Creepy Joe”:
Fox News gave more information on the details of the accusations:
Two more women have accused former Vice President Joe Biden of touching them inappropriately at events, bringing the total number of women who have complained publicly about the prospective 2020 Democratic candidate to four.
The latest accusations were reported by The New York Times. One of the claims dated from 2012, while the other encounter was said to have taken place a few years later.
In the 2012 incident, writer D.J. Hill said Biden put his hand on her shoulder, then dropped it down her back in a way that made her "very uncomfortable" while Hill and her husband posed for pictures with him at a fundraiser in Minneapolis. Hill said her husband noticed the movement and made a joke about it.
"Only he knows his intent,” Hill told the Times, before adding, "If something makes you feel uncomfortable, you have to feel able to say it."
In the second incident, former college student Caitlyn Caruso told the paper that Biden "rested his hand on her thigh — even as she squirmed in her seat to show her discomfort — and hugged her 'just a little bit too long' at an event on sexual assault at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas." Caruso, now 22, told the paper that she was 19 at the time and had just recounted her own story of sexual assault.
The New York Times (a publication that usually takes the liberal side on things) commented on the claims against Biden, implying that the accusations are not serious ones and just an effect of Biden's "touch love language":
Joseph R. Biden Jr. came up in politics as an old-school backslapper whose greatest strength was his ability to connect. He doled out handshakes and hugs to friends and strangers alike, and his tendency to lavish his affections on women and girls was so central to his persona that it became fodder for late-night television jokes.
But the political ground has shifted under Mr. Biden, and his tactile style of retail politicking is no longer a laughing matter in the era of #MeToo. Now, as he considers a run for president, Mr. Biden is struggling to prevent a strength from turning into a crippling liability; on Tuesday alone, two more women told The New York Times that the former vice president’s touches made them uncomfortable.
For Mr. Biden, 76, the risks are obvious: the accusations feed into a narrative that he is a relic of the past, unsuited to represent his party in the modern era, against an incumbent president whose treatment of women should be a central line of attack. Mr. Biden has denied acting inappropriately but has said he will “listen respectfully.”
So far, no prominent Democrat has suggested he not run, and the women complaining about him have not claimed sexual harassment or assault. Other women have stepped forward to say Mr. Biden’s touches were welcome. But the accusations lodged against Mr. Biden have raised questions about when a “tactile politician” crosses the line into inappropriateness.
Imagine the response The New York Times would have given if it were a Republican in Biden's shoes....
Nancy Pelosi has taken a similar approach in responding to questions about her thoughts on the Biden scandal, stating the accusations don't "disqualify" him.
Watch as Mrs. Pelosi attempts (shoddily) to smooth things over for her pal, Joe:
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