“In my career, I’ve always tried to make a human connection — that’s my responsibility I think,” Biden said in a two-minute video posted to his Twitter feed. “I shake hands; I hug people; I grab men and women by the shoulders and say, ‘You can do this.’ ”
But he added: “Social norms have begun to change; they’ve shifted, and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it. I get it. I hear what they’re saying.”
The video was his campaign’s fourth attempt to quell a rising tide of allegations from women who said they felt uncomfortable with the way that Biden — who has been known throughout his political career for his tactile style of politics — had interacted with them in the past. And it was a sign that Biden’s advisers were aware they had to do more than they have in the five days since a former Nevada assemblywoman, Lucy Flores, published an essay in which she described Biden touching her inappropriately and kissing her on the head in 2014, when he was vice president.
In the video, he did not apologize directly to any women who have come forward in recent days saying his behavior made them uncomfortable.
Biden is seriously contemplating a run for the presidency and is widely expected to join the Democratic field this month.
By having Biden issue a videotaped statement, his advisers could get his message out directly and try to convey it in more personal terms, while avoiding having him sit for a televised interview, where there would be the risk of misspeaking.
In the video, which appeared to be filmed on a phone, Biden said he had “never thought of politics as cold and antiseptic.”
“I’ll always believe governing, quite frankly, life, for that matter, is about connecting with people. That won’t change. But I will be more mindful and respectful of people’s personal space,” he said.
“The idea that I can’t adjust to the fact that personal space is important — more important than it’s ever been — is just not thinkable.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.