It hasn't been a great week for potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The former vice president, who has yet to formally announce that he's launching a campaign for the Oval Office, faced scrutiny on Friday for reportedly kissing a former Nevada assemblywoman without her permission.
Lucy Flores, who was campaigning to be Nevada's lieutenant governor at the time wrote about the experience for The Cut. Biden's camp said that he did not remember the incident, but they also acknowledged the allegations should be taken seriously. A Politico report notes that Biden and those involved with his possible campaign were surprised by Flores' account. One of Biden's advisers, Cristobal Alex, said he felt "sucker-punched" by the revelation.
"Neither then, nor in the years since, did he or the staff with him at the time have an inkling that Ms. Flores had been at any time uncomfortable," Biden's spokesman, Bill Russo, wrote in a statement. "Nor do they recall what she describes."
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However, Rebecca Katz, a progressive consultant who advised Cynthia Nixon's gubernatorial primary campaign against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), said there is plenty of evidence beyond Flores' account that back her up. "There's literally highlight reels of Biden, whether it's with world leaders or granddaughters of incoming members of Congress, doing things that seem a little off — on camera," she told Politico.
For example, there is a captured image of Biden burying his nose in the hair of actress and activist Eva Longoria at the very event where Flores said Biden kissed her.
Katz told Politico that Biden's record is simply at odds with where the Democratic Party is right now. "Primaries are tough," she said. "When you're this old and running for president, you have a pretty long record for people to go through." Read more about Biden's potential candidacy at The Week.
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