Joe Biden jokes about harassment allegations at New Hampshire town hall

He's made several jokes alluding to complaints along the campaign trail

Joe Biden appeared to joke about the harassment complaints he's faced, from at least eight women, at a campaign stop on Tuesday.

At a town hall event in Berlin, New Hampshire, the former vice president, who's running to be the Democratic nominee for 2020's presidential election, had a conversation with a woman in the front row. Afterwards Mr Biden turned to the reporters in the room and said “I want the press to know: she pulled me close.”

The crowd laughed. After the event, the woman, Sandy Bergquist, told a reporter that she wasn’t offended by the joke, and that she would be voting for him.

It’s not the first time Mr Biden has made light of the accusations that he’s engaged in inappropriate behaviour towards women, including a high-profile story from Lucy Flores, who ran for lieutenant governor in Nevada in 2014. During a campaign event, Mr Biden smelled her hair and kissed the top of her head, both of which were unwelcome.

After Ms Flores published her story in New York Magazine, Mr Biden appeared to joke about her accusations at a public event, saying he said he had “permission” to touch both a speaker introducing him and a child on stage later.

He later issued a statement saying “not once ― never ― did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention.”

Ms Flores told reporters in April that she was waiting for a proper apology.

Including Ms Flores, eight women have come forward with stories on unwelcome touching from the Democratic hopeful since his campaign became a possibility.

Mr Biden, with the support of his wife, has maintained that the touching is a part of who he is, but that he would try to “be more mindful and respectful of people’s personal space.”

Last week, he told a 10-year-old girl “I bet you’re as smart as you are pretty.”

Mr Biden’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on his behaviour along the campaign trail, and promises that it would improve.

At the Berlin event, Mr Biden also discussed parenting and nuclear weapons, which he joked can become unstable over time and “accidentally blow up.”

He also discouraged Republicans who might vote for him, saying “I don’t want ALL the Republican votes,” adding that he hoped they’d instead stay in their own party to make it “competent.”