Apr 23, 2019

Biden accuser calls his hugging jokes "incredibly disrespectful"

Former Vice President Joe Biden. Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

It's "incredibly disrespectful" of former Vice President Joe Biden to make light of accusations of inappropriate conduct toward women, one of his accusers, Nevada Democrat Lucy Flores, told "Fox News @ Night" Monday.

"We’re talking about the fact that, as women, we have had to endure this kind of inappropriate behavior on behalf of powerful men certainly for as long as I’ve been alive — you know, forever."

The backdrop: Several women have accused Biden of touching them inappropriately. During his first public appearance this month since the allegations surfaced, he twice joked at an electrical workers conference he had permission to hug people at the event.

What she's saying: "The basis of the behavior that I talked about was something much more serious than just a hug," told Fox News host Shannon Bream, referring to her claim that Biden leaned in to smell her hair at a campaign event and kissed her on the head. "That is unprofessional, inappropriate behavior, no matter who does it."

The big picture: Biden is expected to announce his candidacy in the Democratic 2020 presidential race this month, per Axios' Mike Allen.

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Updates: George Floyd protests continue past curfews

Protesters on Tuesday evening by the metal fence recently erected outside the White House. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Protests over the death of George Floyd and other police-related killings of black people continued Tuesday night across the U.S. for the eighth consecutive day — prompting a federal response from the National Guard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

The latest: Protesters were still out en masse for mostly after curfews were in force in cities including Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles and Portland — where police used pepper spray and flash bangs on a group throwing projectiles at them during an "unlawful assembly," per KATU. Portland police said this group was separate to the thousands of demonstrators who protested peacefully elsewhere in the city.

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Primary elections test impact of protests, coronavirus on voting

Election official at a polling place at McKinley Technology High School in Washington, D.C. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In the midst of a global pandemic and national protests over the death of George Floyd, eight states and the District of Columbia held primary elections on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, needs to win 425 of the 479 delegates up for grabs in order to officially clinch the nomination. There are a number of key down-ballot races throughout the country as well, including a primary in Iowa that could determine the fate of Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa).

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Iowa Rep. Steve King defeated in GOP primary

Rep. Steve King. Photo: Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images

State Sen. Randy Feenstra defeated incumbent Rep. Steve King in Tuesday's Republican primary for Iowa's 4th congressional district, according to the Cook Political Report.

Why it matters: King's history of racist remarks has made him one of the most controversial politicians in the country and a pariah within the Republican Party.

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