Omaha, Nebraska (CNN) Former Vice President Joe Biden responded to criticism Thursday after he called Vice President Mike Pence a "decent guy" during a speech in Omaha, a comment that frustrated some on the left because of Pence's position on LGBTQ rights.

Biden's comments about Pence came as he discussed foreign policy and how the international community had reacted to Pence during the vice president's speech at the Munich Security Conference earlier in February.

"The fact of the matter is it was followed on by a guy who's a decent guy, our vice president, who stood before this group of allies and leaders and said, 'I'm here on behalf of President Trump,' and there was dead silence. Dead silence," Biden recounted Thursday at the Chuck Hagel Forum in Global Leadership at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

The "decent guy" comment prompted a round of criticism on Twitter. Actress and activist Cynthia Nixon tweeted , ".@JoeBiden you've just called America's most anti-LGBT elected leader 'a decent guy.' Please consider how this falls on the ears of our community."

Read More