US President Joe Biden has been blasted for making an "inappropriate" remark about a young girl. During his speech at military base in Virginia he went off script and spoke about the daughter of a veteran in the audience. The Democrat first complimented her hairstyle, before saying that the girl looks older than her age.
"I tell you what, look at her, she looks like she's 19 years old, sitting there like a little lady with her legs crossed", the president said.
The video of his remark went viral and sparked a torrent of negative comments.
Even supporters of the president seemed upset.
Others criticised the media for not covering the story, saying the incident would have been in all outlets had it occurred during the presidency of Donald Trump.
Still others contended that there was nothing wrong with the comment.
As mentioned earlier, Biden has a history of making awkward comments about young girls and women. Last October, during a visit to a school he told a group of underage girls that he wants to come back to "see them dancing when they're four years older too".
Numerous photographs show the official kissing, hugging, and seemingly sniffing the hair of female constituents.
During the 2020 presidential campaign several women accused Biden of inappropriate touching, claiming he kissed them without their consent.
The official recorded a video in which he accepted that social norms have changed and promised to be more respectful of people's personal space.
"I shake hands, I hug people, I grab men and women by the shoulders and say, 'You can do this'. Whether they are women, men, young, old, it's the way I've always been. It's the way I show I care about them, that I listen", he said. "Social norms have begun to change, they've shifted. And the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. And I get it. I get it. I hear what they're saying, I understand it. And I'll be much more mindful. That's my responsibility and I'll meet it", he said.
Biden's former aide Tara Reade claimed he sexually assaulted her in 1993. She filed a criminal complaint against the politician, alleging that he penetrated her with his fingers. Police did not look into the matter.