CNN chief national correspondent John King said on Friday that former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' MORE "doesn't get it" after the potential 2020 presidential contender joked about the controversy that has engulfed him since several women accused him of touching them inappropriately.

"I get, in talking to a lot of people around the vice president, that he doesn't think he did anything wrong," King, the anchor of CNN's "Inside Politics," said during a segment of his show.

"He says he welcomes a character debate. But he says he gets it. He doesn't get it if he's not understanding that women think their space was violated, that they were disrespected. They're not going to find that funny," he said.

“He had to know walking onto the stage, the moment and then he makes what he considers to be a joke, which I suspect a lot of other people, especially the women involved, are going to find offensive," King added.

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King's comments came after Biden earlier joked he had permission to hug Lonnie Stephenson, the president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), during a speech to members of the union.

“I want you to know, I had permission to hug Lonnie,” Biden said to laughter from the crowd after Stephenson and him hugged briefly when the former vice president arrived onstage.

Later, Biden invited several children on stage and shook their hands. Shortly after, he pulled one of the boys close and put his arm around him.

"By the way, he gave me permission to touch him,” Biden said.

The jokes came after Biden has been accused by several women of inappropriate touching.

Biden sought to address the controversy in a video earlier this week in which he said "I get it."

“Social norms have begun to change, they’ve shifted, and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it,” Biden 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.”

Other CNN panelists appearing with King said the feelings of the women who had accused Biden should be taken seriously.

"It matters how these women feel. It matters if they feel they were disrespected by the former vice president. That's what matters here. And his jokes today run counter to that web video. And there's no other way to see that," said Jackie Kucinich, a Washington bureau chief for the Daily Beast.





Later, Biden told reporters that he's not sorry for his past actions that some women have said made them uncomfortable, but that he's sorry he didn't understand more at the time.

When asked about the jokes at the IBEW speech, Biden said, "It was not my intent to make light of anyone’s discomfort."

"I realize my responsibility is to not invade the space of anyone who is uncomfortable,” he added.