Wearing a blue suit jacket over a white shirt with no tie, Mr. Biden stared directly into the camera as he issued his statement, which lacked a direct apology to the women who have come forward. The hastily made video, which appeared to be filmed on a phone, was recorded at Mr. Biden’s Northern Virginia home.
Mr. Biden tried to frame the issue around changing social norms. But some women say it is fundamentally about the invasion of personal space, and the change is that they now feel empowered to speak out. In Washington, Mr. Biden has been known throughout his political career for his tactile style of politics, with shoulder rubs, hugs and kisses that some women now say were troubling to them at the time.
Mr. Biden also stressed the role that personal connection had played in his political career.
“Over the years, knowing what I’ve been through, the things that I’ve faced, I found that scores, if not hundreds, of people have come up to me and reached out for solace and comfort — something, anything that may help them get through the tragedy they’re going through,’’ he said. “It’s just who I am. I’ve never thought of politics as cold and antiseptic.”
Reaction to the complaints about Mr. Biden’s behavior has been divided, and that carried over to his video address on Wednesday.
The writer Andi Zeisler, co-founder of Bitch Media, cited the lack of an apology as a problem. “Imagine all the time he could have saved,” she wrote, “by typing ‘I’m sorry. I will do better.’”
Alicia Garza, a prominent progressive activist, said on Twitter that she was “disappointed” with Mr. Biden’s statement and called it “mealy-mouthed at best.”
“Try this,” she added, “I’m so sorry that my actions had this impact on you. I will do the work to be better and do better.”
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