On Monday, President Joe Biden attended an event honoring Gotham FC, the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League champions. The ceremony took place in the East Room of the White House and featured several young girls who were invited on stage to join the president. In a surprising admission during his speech, Biden revealed that he had been told by his staff that there are certain things he is not allowed to do while in office, but he vowed to continue doing them anyway.
Biden’s interaction with the young children at the event drew attention from those in attendance and those watching on social media platforms such as Twitter. Some of the president’s remarks were difficult to hear, but it was clear that he asked some of the children for their names before posing for photos together.
This is not the first time that President Biden has faced criticism for his interactions with young girls and women at public events. In 2019, several women came forward to share stories about how they felt uncomfortable or violated by Biden’s unwanted contact during such encounters. Following these allegations, the future president promised to be more mindful of respecting personal space in the future.
Since becoming president, there have been fewer instances of awkward video clips featuring President Biden touching children or women at public events compared to his time as vice president under Barack Obama. As he nears retirement, it seems that Biden may feel less restrained by staff members who had previously advised him against engaging in certain interactions with young people and women at public events.
Despite concerns about his mental acuity, President Biden has managed to maintain a relatively strong presence on the world stage during his time in office. He will be traveling to New York City later this week for the United Nations General Assembly’s annual meetings, where he is expected to continue advocating for policies that promote peace and stability around the globe.