President Joe Biden was met with online backlash after hugging Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and making a joke about knowing her when she was underage.
On Thursday, June 15, the pair met on the South Lawn to watch Longoria's new flick Flamin' Hot — the story of a Mexican-American janitor who sold the idea for spicy Cheetos and other products to Frito-Lay.
"We’ve known each other a long time," he said of his relationship with Longoria. "She was 17, I was 40," he quipped, despite the fact that he was actually around 50 years old when the actress was 17.
Prior to the screening, Longoria and Biden also embraced on stage as they exchanged words, but critics quickly took to Twitter with slow-motion footage of the hug, accusing the 80-year-old of attempting to grope her.
The slowed footage appeared to show Biden's hand accidentally brushing part of her chest when they both pulled back from the hug. As Longoria stepped back, she then took his hand and squeezed it.
However, critics interpreted the moment as the Over Her Dead Body actress shutting the POTUS down.
"NOT TONIGHT, JOE! Biden Goes for the Grope But Eva Longoria’s Not Havin’ It," one user wrote via Twitter, with another adding, "He is just a nasty old man."
"He is so disgusting," a third replied, and a fourth noted this moment seemingly "shows how perverted he is!!!"
Despite the stream of criticism, others jumped to Biden's defense, arguing that this was nothing more than a sweet moment between two adults who have known each other for a long time.
"Good try, twisting a hug among friends into perversion," another person said. "She's a big supporter of Joe. What's perverted is the near daily arrests of GOP and religious figures for child rape and sexual assault."
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Biden has found himself in hot water with critics over his interactions with younger women in the past.
Last October, Biden was also accused of being "creepy" after offering a college student dating advice at a speaking engagement and advising her not to be involved with any "serious guys" until she was 30.
