Meghan McCain staunchly defended former Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday, saying that she was one of the people who welcomed his penchant for hugging.
“He makes me feel better when he’s around,” she said on “The View.” “I get sad and I’m in grief and I want him to hug me, okay?”
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McCain went on to reiterate the fact that, although a number of women have come forward to say that the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate had made them feel uncomfortable, none had accused him of anything sexually motivated. (RELATED: Meghan McCain And Joy Behar Spar Over Trump’s Special Olympics Funding Issue: ‘Stick With Facts’)
“I’m sorry, but like, I think this whole thing is ridiculous and I have for a long time,” McCain began. “And there’s a huge difference between someone sexually assaulting you and someone, quote, invading your personal space. Very important delineation.”
Then she turned to the audience, seeming to speak directly to Biden, saying, “And I’m going to keep hugging you every time I see you, okay? And I’m going to hug you and all of you. I’m just over this.”
Sunny Hostin agreed, shaking her head and saying that she had felt bad when Biden appeared on the show last Friday — his first television interview since declaring his candidacy — and had not known whether or not it was ok for him to hug the hosts.
“I was so kind of upset that he said when he came out — and we hug all of our guests,” Hostin noted. “He said when he came out here and we’re all friends with Joe Biden, he wasn’t sure what to do. And it hurt me because I’ve been — he asked me to host one of his Galas for women against violence and I did that because I care for him. And when he came out he just held my hand.”
Biden, according to recent polling, is currently leading the large Democratic field.