Joe Biden drew uncomfortable laughter when he told the debate crowd that in order to work toward changing the culture of violence against women, society needs to “keep punching at it.”

Biden, 77, was speaking about the need for there to be a “fundamental change” in society and on college campuses when it comes to how men treat women.

“No man has a right to raise a hand to a woman in anger other than in self-defense, and that’s rarely ever occurs,” Biden said after touting his past work on college campuses.

“So, we have to just change the culture, period. And keep punching at it and punching at it and punching at it,” Biden said, which was met with awkward laughter. “No, I really mean it. It’s a gigantic issue, and we have to make it clear, from the top, from the president on down, that we will not tolerate it.”





Users on Twitter quickly reacted to the irony of the statement.



LOLLLLLL Biden is out of control — Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) November 21, 2019

“Keep punching at it” is … not the way I would have phrased that line about the struggle to change the culture and prevent domestic violence — Mike Madden (@MikeMadden) November 21, 2019

Biden: "We gotta keep punching at it, and punching at it, and punching at it!"



He was talking about domestic violence.



The audience awkwardly laughed, but Biden was not amused: "I mean it!"



Geez, Joe. — Amanda Prestigiacomo (@AmandaPresto) November 21, 2019