“Women should be believed,” Joe Biden said in a new interview, while insisting Tara Reade’s allegations against him are totally unfounded. He also wants journalists to “investigate” – but refuses to open sought-after archives.
The former vice president joined Good Morning America on Tuesday to once again deny the allegations of sexual assault brought against him by former staff assistant Reade. “I think women should be believed,” Biden said. “They should have an opportunity to have their case and state it forthright, what their case is.”
The presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic Party then insisted it’s the duty of “responsible journalists and everyone else to go out and investigate” claims such as those made by Reade.
However, despite his words about women being believed, Biden insisted that “At the end of the day, the truth is the truth. That’s what should prevail, and the truth is this [alleged assault] never happened.”
.@JoeBiden: “Women should be believed” but what Tara Reade accuses me of “never happened” pic.twitter.com/G1gq1eZmnQ
Biden says he wants Reade’s claims investigated, but he’s been accused of being less than cooperative on the matter. Reade has said multiple times that the official complaint she filed in the ‘90s over workplace harassment and discrimination is in Biden’s Senate archives, which are held at the University of Delaware.
Reade’s lawyer has asked that Biden open his own archives to search for Reade’s name, but the former vice president said in past interviews he has no interest in doing so, claiming other material from past speeches and positions could be “taken out of context” and used against him in the upcoming presidential election.
The juxtaposition of Biden saying he wants an investigation, while denying access to records his accuser says are central to her case hasn’t gone unnoticed among critics and political commentators.
“Biden says it’s up to responsible journalists to go out and investigate,” reporter Stephen L. Miller tweeted in response to Biden’s latest denial. “He knows the Senate is prevented by law from opening his archives and he will not authorize the University of Delaware to open his personal records. Report that, journalists.”
Biden says it’s up to responsible journalists to go out and investigate. He knows the a Senate is prevented by law from opening his archives and he will not authorize the University of Delaware to open his personal records. Report that, journalists. https://t.co/Jlnm8GRW1K
This is so meaningless as to be the same standard as “Don’t Believe Women.” If the important part of the equation is that the case is made, heard, and then evaluated, it doesn’t matter much to anything except politeness where you start. Calvinball. https://t.co/Sa0py2WbJN
Biden: Women should be believed. Just not this one.Can you really have it both ways here? https://t.co/ztnXGt6KOE
Many of Biden’s supporters have thrown their support behind him regardless of the veracity of the accusations against him. While Biden told ‘GMA’ that Americans have the “right” not to vote for him if they believe Reade, a handful of prominent left-wing voices have argued that defeating Donald Trump in the presidential election is far more important than the allegations Biden faces.
“I believe Tara Reade. I’m voting for Joe Biden anyway,” read a recent column in the New York Times. The sentiment has been echoed by commentators like Bill Maher and activists such as Lisa Bloom, who tweeted “I believe you, Tara Reade” while affirming she would continue to support Biden’s White House run.
I believe you, Tara Reade.You have people who remember you told them about this decades ago.We know he is “handsy.”You’re not asking for $.You’ve obviously struggled mightily with this.I still have to fight Trump, so I will still support Joe.But I believe you. And I’m sorry https://t.co/eMUBrkkVFE
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