The woman who accused Joe Biden of kissing her and smelling her hair without her consent says the incident makes him unfit for the White House.
The Democrat’s hopes of another bid for the US presidency have been dealt a serious blow after Lucy Flores, 39, of Nevada, made the allegations in New York magazine.
She claims that during campaigning for her bid to become the lieutenant-governor of Nevada in 2014 Biden came up behind her as she was preparing to give a speech at a rally, took her by her shoulders and smelt her hair.
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“As I was taking deep breaths and preparing myself to make my case to the crowd, I felt two hands on my shoulders. I froze. ‘Why is the vice-president of the United States touching me?’” she wrote.
Speaking yesterday she said that the 76-year-old former vice-president’s actions towards her were part of a trend of inappropriate conduct that was “disqualifying” for someone seeking the Oval Office.
In response, Biden said that he did not believe he had acted wrongly. “If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully,” he said.
“I may not recall these moments the same way, and I may be surprised at what I hear, but we have arrived at an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention. And I will.”
His would-be rivals for the Democrat ticket have responded to the allegations. The Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren said Biden must provide answers. Neither she, nor Bernie Sanders would say whether the alleged behaviour was disqualifying.
Kellyanne Conway a senior adviser to Donald Trump, told Fox News: “Joe Biden has a big problem here because he calls it affection and handshakes, his party calls it completely inappropriate.”
In 2015, the Washington Post published an article headlined “What are we going to do about Creepy Uncle Joe Biden?” and New York magazine ran a piece titled “9 Times Joe Biden Creepily Whispered in Women’s Ears.”
