Biden: Allegations will change ‘how I campaign’

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Friday said he would likely have to “change” the way he campaigns after several women came forward with allegations that he inappropriately touched them at public events.

The comments were among Biden’s first public remarks since allegations against him surfaced last week. Biden hasn’t yet announced a White House bid, but is expected to do so in the coming weeks.

{mosads}“I think it’s going to have to change somewhat how I campaign,” Biden told reporters after giving a speech to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Washington, D.C., where he joked about the controversy.

Biden has been engulfed in a growing political crisis since last week, when Lucy Flores, a former Nevada state assemblywoman, published an essay alleging the former vice president grabbed her shoulders and kissed the back of her head during an event in 2014.

That interaction, Flores wrote, made her feel uncomfortable and “gross.”

Since then, six other women have come forward with similar allegations against Biden.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Biden discussed how societal norms have “all changed.” He apologized for not understanding those changes earlier, but said he was not sorry for his “intentions,” adding that he has never been purposefully disrespectful.

“It’s not a bad thing; it’s a new thing,” Biden said of the changing social norms and expectations. “It’s important and I’m sure it’s going to take a while for it to settle out. But it’s settled out for me.”

He also addressed questions about whether he is “progressive” enough to emerge victorious in a Democratic primary field where many of the candidates have moved to the left on issues like health care and taxes.

Biden argued that most Democratic voters remain aligned with more traditional party positions.

“We’ll find out whether I can win in the primary,” Biden said. “The fact of the matter is the vast majority of the members of the Democratic Party are still basically liberal to moderate Democrats in the traditional sense.”