Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Friday denied allegations of sexual assault leveled against him by former staffer Tara Reade, personally addressing the claims more than a month after she went public with the claims.
“They aren’t true. This never happened,” Biden said in a written statement put out by his campaign.
“While the details of these allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault are complicated, two things are not complicated. One is that women deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and when they step forward they should be heard, not silenced. The second is that their stories should be subject to appropriate inquiry and scrutiny.”
Biden’s statement comes after major developments in the assault claims. Last Friday, a clip from “Larry King Live” in 1993 resurfaced featuring a woman who purportedly was Reade’s mother, who has since died, calling in to discuss “problems” her daughter faced with a “prominent senator.”
Then on Monday, two more people backed up Reade’s story — Lynda LaCasse, a former next-door neighbor of Reade’s and a self-described supporter of Biden, and Lorraine Sanchez, a former colleague of Reade’s.
A truly fascinating study in bias!
Timeline shows media, Dems' different approach to Tara Reade accusation after Kavanaugh free-for-all | Fox News https://t.co/HUd2pH9AA0
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 29, 2020
Apparently “believe all women” only goes one way, and doesn’t apply if you’re aggressively running for VP.
Stacey Abrams, Other Dems Mimic Biden Talking Points on Tara Reade https://t.co/j8YuYpvjsl
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 29, 2020