Valerie Jarrett , a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama , is coming to former Vice President Joe Biden s defense on controversies hes faced in his 2020 Democratic presidential campaign so far from how long it took him to reverse his position on the anti-abortion Hyde Amendment to how hes responded to allegations of inappropriate touching .

HuffPost spoke to Jarrett on Friday before a fundraiser in San Francisco for civil rights group Equal Rights Advocates , where Jarrett spoke about the need for better policies to support working women, including equal pay, paid family leave and affordable child care.

Asked what she thought of Biden reversing his decades-old position against repealing the Hyde Amendment , which bars federal funding for abortion procedures, Jarrett said: I think its great that he did.

Look, I disagreed with him about the Hyde Amendment, said Jarrett, who was chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls under Obama. But I also saw the enormous value that he offered as vice president to President Obama.

I think its good that he responded and was willing to change positions, she added. I think sometimes candidates get backed into a corner and think they cant change, but they should. We should all grow.

Jarrett then brought up the allegations earlier this year from multiple women who said Biden had inappropriately touched or kissed them and invaded their personal space during public events.

I think [Biden] said, in response to some of the women who felt he was invading their personal space, he said, Its a new day, and I get that and I need to change. I think thats what we would want from people, Jarrett said.

Sometimes in our political world, we dont give people the space that they need to change, she added. I think thats refreshing to see a candidate who is willing to say, I had it wrong, and now this is my position.

Heres more from Jarrett on what shes looking for in a 2020 presidential candidate, on Joe Bidens recent controversies and other issues.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.