--- title: How Joe Biden Is Already Facing a 2020 Election Crisis description: As women claim Joe Biden touched them in inappropriate ways, questions about gender will linger ahead of his potential 2020 race. canonical: https://time.com/5564178/joe-biden-2020-crisis/ author: Philip Elliott article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-04-04T09:40:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T23:13:25.744Z article:section: Politics og:title: Joe Biden Is Facing a Political Crisis — And He's Not Even Running (Yet) og:description: In the #MeToo era, questions about gender are going to linger over Biden's campaign og:url: https://time.com/5564178/joe-biden-2020-crisis/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc5395e807acad180/698947c5b3fce396750c3657/bidens-metoo-movement-phillip-elliot-brief-lede.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2405 og:image:height: 1353 og:image:alt: Biden's #MeToo Movement Phillip Elliot Brief Lede og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Joe Biden Is Facing a Political Crisis — And He's Not Even Running (Yet) twitter:description: In the #MeToo era, questions about gender are going to linger over Biden's campaign twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc5395e807acad180/698947c5b3fce396750c3657/bidens-metoo-movement-phillip-elliot-brief-lede.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Joe Biden Is Facing a Political Crisis — And He's Not Even Running (Yet) > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=04f33877-1654-45b2-b968-d863743d0607&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=04f33877-1654-45b2-b968-d863743d0607&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=04f33877-1654-45b2-b968-d863743d0607&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=04f33877-1654-45b2-b968-d863743d0607&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Philip Elliott](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Senior Correspondent Apr 4, 2019 9:40 AM UTC  Lucy Flores, one of the three women who spoke out against Biden, says she would back Biden if he became the party’s presidential nominee Lucy Flores, one of the three women who spoke out against Biden, says she would back Biden if he became the party’s presidential nominee Ethan Miller—Getty Images  by [Philip Elliott](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott Senior Correspondent Apr 4, 2019 9:40 AM UTC Joe Biden has been gearing up for a potential White House campaign since last year, scouting office locations around Philadelphia, enlisting donors and recruiting staff in Iowa and New Hampshire. In mid-March, the former Vice President let slip to a group of union members that he might need their support “in a few weeks.” Former Senate colleagues who have traded phone calls with Biden said they were convinced he was ready to run. But in recent weeks, Biden has seemed plagued by second thoughts, blowing past yet another self-imposed decision deadline. His pause has raised familiar worries. In 2016, Biden was close enough to running for President to tap a campaign manager, and a longtime aide wrote a 2,500-word announcement speech. Was he getting cold feet again? Biden insiders say no. He is likely to mount a third campaign for the presidency soon, two advisers involved in rollout discussions tell TIME. If he does, polls suggest, he’ll be the front runner to win the nomination. But Biden’s apparent hesitancy suggests he’s aware of what else awaits him. In recent days, multiple women have come forward with stories of Biden touching them in ways they considered inappropriate. Biden denies acting inappropriately. “Not once–never–did I believe I acted inappropriately,” he said in a March 31 statement. “If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention.” He followed up with a video message on April 3 that he would “be more mindful and respectful of people’s personal space, and that’s a good thing.” Biden has long been famous for taking the traditional grip-and-grin of retail politics–a pat on the shoulder, a touch on the back–too far at times. His physicality has been the subject of late-night comedy routines, and the biennial swearing-in ceremonies in the Senate, which Biden presided over as Vice President, were peppered with awkward moments. In the #MeToo era, when the nation is re-examining the boundaries of acceptable behavior by men with power, questions about gender are certain to linger uncomfortably over Biden’s campaign. But it’s not just his handsiness that’s taken on a different hue. Biden, 76, has spent almost a half-century in public life, during which he’s held a variety of positions that seem out of step with today’s Democratic base. He repeatedly voted to restrict abortion access, and his treatment of Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas’ 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings still incenses many Democrats. His support for tough-on-crime sentencing guidelines is now seen by many Democratic voters as unjust, and he voted for the war in Iraq. It remains an open question whether a party fielding a historically diverse group of candidates will pick a white man who on Inauguration Day would be the oldest person ever to become President. Biden’s delay in joining the race has political consequences too. The absence of a front runner in the race beckoned rivals into the ring and put Biden on the defensive. He left the White House without the kind of small-dollar digital fundraising network powering competitors’ campaigns, leaving him to play catch-up with a mailing list from 2007\. “Democrats are so horrified that an admitted sexual assaulter is in the White House, they may hold their candidates to a higher standard,” an unaffiliated Democratic strategist said. His boosters still see a clear path to victory. Biden is at the top of early national polls, is well known and liked by Democrats, and enjoys strong support among African Americans–a constituency with clout in picking the Democratic nominee. Biden’s popularity among white working-class voters, many of whom sided with Trump in 2016, is particularly tempting to those who want more than anything to win the White House. “The most important issue for Democrats writ large across the country is not some ideological stance. It is beating Donald Trump,” says Patti Solis Doyle, Biden’s chief of staff during the 2008 Obama campaign. “But it’s a mistake to take lightly the role of women in elections. They have fueled the Democratic Party since Donald Trump won.” Allies have rallied behind Biden in recent days, arguing in op-eds and tweets that he has a long record of empowering women. But his inner circle is split on how to handle the tricky politics at play. Some insist he should defer to his accusers; others are urging him not to flinch, lest he be treated like Al Franken, who resigned from the Senate after multiple women accused him of groping or forcibly kissing them. Many Democrats now regret sidelining Franken, a fundraising powerhouse, at a moment when Republicans embrace a President with a much more problematic record with women. For now, Biden’s biggest challenge is clear: he must carefully balance his long history with an aspirational future. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5564178/joe-biden-2020-crisis/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5564178/joe-biden-2020-crisis/"},"headline":"Joe Biden Is Facing a Political Crisis — And He's Not Even Running (Yet)","datePublished":"2019-04-04T09:40:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T23:13:25.744Z","description":"As women claim Joe Biden touched them in inappropriate ways, questions about gender will linger ahead of his potential 2020 race.","url":"https://time.com/5564178/joe-biden-2020-crisis/","keywords":["2020 Election"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc5395e807acad180/698947c5b3fce396750c3657/bidens-metoo-movement-phillip-elliot-brief-lede.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Philip Elliott","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc5395e807acad180/698947c5b3fce396750c3657/bidens-metoo-movement-phillip-elliot-brief-lede.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Biden's #MeToo Movement Phillip Elliot Brief Lede","caption":"Lucy Flores, one of the three women who spoke out against Biden, says she would back Biden if he became the party’s presidential nominee","creditText":"Ethan Miller—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2020-election/","name":"2020 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5564178/joe-biden-2020-crisis/","name":"Joe Biden Is Facing a Political Crisis — And He's Not Even Running (Yet)"}}]}] ```