Steve King defends Biden: He’s ‘just an affectionate guy’

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) defended Joe Biden on Wednesday following allegations of inappropriate touching against the former vice president, saying Biden “is just an affectionate guy.”

“Irrational Democrat media assault on @JoeBiden,” King tweeted. “You would think he had ‘sexual relations’ with an intern in the Oval Office…except Democrats aggressively defended Bill Clinton. Joe Biden is just an affectionate guy.” 

Irrational Democrat media assault on @JoeBiden. You would think he had “sexual relations” with an intern in the Oval Office…except Democrats aggressively defended Bill Clinton. Joe Biden is just an affectionate guy.

— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) April 4, 2019

Four women have come forward recently alleging that Biden made them uncomfortable by touching them inappropriately at public events. 

{mosads}Biden, who is expected to enter the 2020 presidential race, released a video Wednesday addressing the allegations, pledging to be “more mindful” of women’s personal space.

“Social norms have begun to change, they’ve shifted, and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it,” he said in the video. “I hear what they’re saying. I understand it. I’ll be much more mindful. That’s my responsibility, and I’ll meet it.”

Biden did not directly apologize to his accusers in the video and maintained that his actions were innocent, stating that he acted the same with men and women.

Several prominent Democrats have said Biden’s accusers should be believed but have not said the allegations against Biden disqualify him from a possible 2020 White House bid. 

Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Susan Collins (Maine) have also come to Biden’s defense. 

“Maybe at times he’s done some things that make people feel uncomfortable, but it matters to me what his intent is,” Graham told reporters Wednesday. “I just think he’s a good guy. I think he means nothing bad by this.” 

Collins said Biden is “a very friendly, affectionate individual who is a natural toucher” and said she has “never found him to be inappropriate.”

King has been the subject of controversy in Congress and was stripped of his committee assignments earlier this year after questioning how the terms “white supremacist” and “white nationalist” became offensive in an interview with The New York Times.

The Iowa lawmaker has defended himself, asserting that he was referring only to “Western civilization” when asking, “How did that language become offensive?”