Former Vice President Joe Biden released a statement on Sunday in response to the recent allegation of “inappropriate” behavior on his part written about by former Nevada lawmaker and Bernie Sanders supporter Lucy Flores.

In his statement, Biden said that “not once – never – did I believe I acted inappropriately.”

On CNN’s State of the Union, Jake Tapper asked Flores for her reaction.

“Well I certainly think it’s better than his first statement that they released on Saturday,” said Flores, referring to the general statement that was given by a spokesperson. “I’m glad he’s willing to listen. I’m glad he is clarifying his intentions.”

“Frankly, my point was never about his intentions, and they shouldn’t be about his intentions.” Flores continued. “It should be about the women on the receiving end of that behavior.”

In Biden’s statement, in addition to defending his intentions, he said he “may not recall these moments the same way” as women who have been on the receiving end remember it, but that he will “pay attention” to what they say.

Flores correctly noted that this isn’t the first questionable behavior on Biden’s part.

“This isn’t the first time and it wasn’t the only incident where he was acting inappropriately with women,” she said. “If he is saying he never believed that was inappropriate, then frankly I think that’s a little bit of a disconnect, and not being aware, a sense of not being aware because there has been documentation both in photos, videos, stories that were written.”

She also suggested that, rather than the idea that no one has ever brought it to his attention, it seems more likely those objections have simply been dismissed. “I just can’t imagine that there was never a situation where someone said to him, Vice President — Mr. Vice President, you probably should stop doing that. You should probably stop touching women in that way, you should probably keep your hands to yourself,” she said.

She said of the statement, “frankly I think that’s a little bit of a disconnect” and that part of the problem is his “not being aware.”

Interestingly, as the interview continued, Flores at one point said she felt less pressure to keep quiet because there are so many good candidates for 2020 on the Democratic side. In other words that when there are fewer candidates, there is a great deal of pressure on Democrat women not to speak out.

“We’re often pressured to keep our mouths shut about anything,” she said. “We are expected to quote unquote keep our dirty laundry to ourselves, and it’s always in service the party.”

She said that because Democrats “have options” she doesn’t feel pressured to “stay quiet and just take one for the team the way in which we’re always asked to do.”

Watch the clip above, courtesy of CNN.

[Featured image via screengrab]

—

Follow Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) on Twitter

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/2V7iH6r