Former vice president and current presidential candidate Joe Biden addressed a “beautiful young lady” at a Tuesday fundraising event in Manhattan.
“If we don’t step up, no one else is going to,” Biden said regarding America’s role in the world. He was speaking to wealthy donors and their families beside the law offices of Weitz and Luxenberg P.C. in Manhattan.
Biden nodded to the crowd and said: “I want to make sure this beautiful young lady sitting at the end of the bench here lives a life that’s the same as we had a chance to live, because if we don’t change where we’re going right now, we’re in real trouble. So thank you for giving me a chance to get in the race, thank you for giving me a chance to compete.”
The remarks were transcribed by a New York Times correspondent in a pool report provided to other journalists. The comment was an “apparent nod to a young girl in the audience,” the correspondent reported.
Biden’s history of addressing young women and touching people has gained attention in recent months, since multiple women came forward and said the former VP made them feel uncomfortable.
Since those women came forward, Biden has made jokes about his history of touching women without explicit consent after he issued an apology.
Social norms are changing. I understand that, and I’ve heard what these women are saying. Politics to me has always been about making connections, but I will be more mindful about respecting personal space in the future. That’s my responsibility and I will meet it. pic.twitter.com/Ya2mf5ODts
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 3, 2019
At a campaign event in New Hampshire earlier this month, a lady pulled Biden close and whispered something to him. Biden’s responded to the secret by saying to the crowd, “And I want the press to know, she pulled me close. I just want you to know, OK?”
