It’s been just a week since former Nevada state lawmaker Lucy Flores wrote an article in The Cut explaining that former Vice President Joe Biden made her feel disrespected, demeaned and disempowered when he inhaled the smell of her hair and kissed her on the head in the moments before she went on stage at a political rally in 2014. Six more women then came forward with similar stories. Biden has not apologized to any of these women. Instead, in a speech on Friday, he cracked jokes about the situation. “I just want you to know I had permission to hug Lonnie,” he said, after embracing Lonnie Stephenson, the president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, at the union’s conference in Washington. The crowd, made up mostly of men, laughed and cheered.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Former Vice President Joe Biden and union leader Lonnie Stephenson exchange a consensual hug.

Afterward, he made clear to reporters that he didn’t believe he’d done anything wrong on the whole touching-people front ― ever. “It wasn’t my intent to make light of anyone’s discomfort. I realize it’s my responsibility to not invade the space of anyone who is uncomfortable in this regard,” said Biden, who is widely expected to announce that he’s running for president soon. But he added, “I’m not sorry for any of my intentions. I’m not sorry for anything that I have ever done. I have never been disrespectful intentionally to a man or a woman.” By refusing to apologize, Biden has lost an opportunity to show that he understands women’s issues in the current political climate ― something that’s crucial to succeeding in any bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Since the accusations against him clearly don’t rise to the level of assault and possibly not even harassment, the stakes would be low for him to take true responsibility for his actions, acknowledge that these women felt demeaned, say he’s sorry, and move on. Biden could have chosen to model how a progressive man responds to complaints from women in the Me Too era, said Shaunna Thomas, the co-founder and executive director of the women’s group UltraViolet. “And that’s not just about setting Joe Biden up for success as a nominee,” Thomas said. “It was also an opportunity to advance the Me Too conversation and it’s something people are looking for. They’re looking to get outside of the paradigm where you’re either all good or all bad.”

Joe Biden on allegations he made women uncomfortable: “I am sorry I didn’t understand more. I am not sorry for any of my intentions. I am not sorry for anything that I have ever done -- I’ve never been disrespectful, intentionally, to a man or a woman.” https://t.co/hjew5X369apic.twitter.com/UYc1guThhn — CNN (@CNN) April 5, 2019