Biden to give first interview responding to sexual assault accusation

[webfact]

Biden to give first interview responding to sexual assault accusation

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Susan Cornwell

 

FILE PHOTO: Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the 11th Democratic candidates debate of the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign, held in CNN's Washington studios without an audience because of the global coronavirus pandemic, in Washington, U.S., March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Presumptive Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden for the first time on Friday is set to personally address a former Senate aide's accusation that he sexually assaulted her in 1993 - a claim that his campaign has denied.

 

Biden is scheduled to be interviewed about the matter on the MSNBC program "Morning Joe," the cable TV network said on Twitter on Thursday. Biden's campaign did not respond to a request for comment about the interview. His campaign has said the incident never occurred but he has remained silent about it.

 

Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, gave a forceful defense of Biden, highlighting the former vice president's long history of supporting policies to stop the abuse of women.

 

The interview plan comes after some fellow Democrats urged Biden, 77, to directly respond to the accusation.

 

A California woman named Tara Reade, who worked as a staff assistant in Biden's U.S. Senate office from December 1992 to August 1993, has accused Biden in media interviews of pinning her against a wall in 1993, reaching under her skirt and pushing his fingers inside her.

 

Biden is set to challenge Republican President Donald Trump, 73, in the Nov. 3 U.S. election. Trump has been accused by more than a dozen women of sexual assault and misconduct over the years, allegations he and his aides have denied.

 

"I think he should respond," Trump said of Biden at a media briefing on Thursday. "It could be false accusations. I know all about false accusations."

 

Pelosi, who formally endorsed Biden for president on Monday, noted that staffers who ran Biden's Senate office have said they had no recollection of a sexual assault complaint.

 

"I have complete respect for the whole #MeToo movement," Pelosi said at a news conference. "There is also due process and the fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden."

 

"He is the personification of hope and optimism and authenticity for our country - a person of great values," Pelosi added.

 

Reuters has not been able to independently confirm Reade's accusation and also was unable to reach Reade or a representative for her for comment.

 

Several news outlets that have published Reade's account, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, have interviewed a friend who said Reade told her about the alleged assault at the time. Another friend told the Times that Reade told her in 2008 about a previous traumatic incident involving Biden. Reade's brother also confirmed parts of Reade's account to The Intercept and the Post.

 

On Monday, the Business Insider news website published an interview with a former neighbor who said Reade told her in the mid-1990s that Biden had put his fingers inside her.

 

Reade, 56, told media interviewers she complained at the time about sexual harassment, though not sexual assault, to three of Biden's Senate aides.

 

The Biden campaign released a statement from one, Marianne Baker, who said she never received any report of inappropriate behavior in nearly 20 years of working for Biden.

 

The Post and Times interviewed the other two aides, both of whom told the newspapers they had no recollection of Reade's complaint.

 

Reade was one of eight women who last year came forward to say Biden had hugged, kissed or touched them in ways that made them uncomfortable, though none accused him of sexual assault. Reade publicly accused him of the assault on a podcast in March.

 

Some prominent Democratic women have stepped forward to defend Biden. Others have asked him to address the accusation.

 

"It can't appear that she's being ignored just because it's an inconvenient truth for certain people in the Democratic Party," said Nina Turner, who was national campaign co-chair for the presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders, who dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden.

 

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in New York and Susan Cornwell in Washington; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Will Dunham)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-01

 

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[Damrongsak]

The guy is creepy.  Like many other politicians of both parties.

[Shot]

Let me guess. He can't remember any of it, just like he can't remember where he is.

[Canuck1966]

Let's see if he can manage to utter a coherent sentence

[sprq]

For god's sake, leave him alone and let him have a clear run at Trump! That's the only thing that matters now.

[Canuck1966]

3 minutes ago, sprq said:

For god's sake, leave him alone and let him have a clear run at Trump! That's the only thing that matters now.

4 more years!! suck it up

[rupert the bear]

due process isnt part of the me too movement ms pelosi.although ive been a fan of yours in the past i cant agree with this statement,men are trialled by the court of public opinion.im against any display of force or coercion against women but you must have evidence.a photo,witness and police report etc,many cases are heresay,accused against heresay that took place yrs previously,this is not due process.there can be no prosecution without evidence.heresay doesnt cut it

[Canuck1966]

4 minutes ago, sprq said:

For god's sake, leave him alone and let him have a clear run at Trump! That's the only thing that matters now.

Nice to see you condoning a pervert

[Canuck1966]

9 minutes ago, sirineou said:

She didn't think to mention it when he was a Senator . She didn't think to mention it when he was Vice President, She didn't think to mention it when he was running for the nomination, but all of s sudden now that he is  the democratic candidate for President , she remember it .

I smell an Orange rat .

Have you not heard her mother talking in the 90s about it??

Then again they wouldn't show that on the brainwash channels

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Canuck1966

[sirineou]

Just now, Canuck1966 said:

4 more years!! suck it up

Just like the porn star and his supporters.

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, Canuck1966 said:

Nice to see you condoning a pervert

Nice to see you voted for one

[sanuk711]

 

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

"I have complete respect for the whole #MeToo movement," Pelosi said at a news conference. "There is also due process and the fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden."

There is also due process...........Just like there was for Justice Kavanagh

[sirineou]

5 minutes ago, Canuck1966 said:

Have you not heard her mother talking in the 90s about it??

Then again they wouldn't show that on the brainwash channels

 

No i have not,

I heard of a person say that her daughter had problems with a prominent Senator. that woman did not identify herself , who her daughter was or who the senator or what the problem was. Even if that person was to be positively identified to be Tara Reade's mother it is still no proof that it happened only that she told her mother that she left her job because she had problems with her boss. at the interview there was a panel that discussed alternative options other than going to the press yet Tara Reade chose not to exercise any of them. 

[Cryingdick]

The dems can always hold the rape card and use it later if Biden is doing terribly. If so they can just produce another accuser who is suddenly credible and throw him under the bus. 

 

 

 

 

[Tippaporn]

"I have complete respect for the whole #MeToo movement," Pelosi said at a news conference. "There is also due process and the fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden."

 

The fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden?  What's that supposed to mean?  Pelosi trying to cover for Joe.

 

One way or another Biden is toast.

 

This topic is going to explode.

[Cryingdick]

Here is an honest question, did Bloomberg endorse Biden?

[metisdead]

A post using a trolling reference to Trump and the replies have been removed. 

[Tippaporn]

Whether this or something else puts the nail in Biden's coffin I will predict that the Dems have another candidate who will replace Biden.  But be sure, they ain't going with Joe.

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, sprq said:

For god's sake, leave him alone and let him have a clear run at Trump! That's the only thing that matters now.

And if by chance he does make it to the finish line then what for someone who seems to possibly have dementia and possibly Alzheimer's.  I can see it now, policy is made, and he will say "I don't remember making that decision".  He will be a candidate for the old retired politicians home, while whomever might be his VP is sworn in.  That is if he can beat Trump legitimately.  I can just see Hilary jockeying to be his nominee for VP, or maybe Michelle Obama.  Crazy times we live in..

[mr mr]

the outcome with this will be similar  to the trudeau happenings. he will deny and then state how he felt during the interaction and that he never thought he was being inappropriate. 

 

then the media will let him off and try to pretend there is nothing there.

 

grab them by the p***Y joe !!  

Edited May 1, 2020 by mr mr
sp

[Cryingdick]

11 minutes ago, Tippaporn said:

Whether this or something else puts the nail in Biden's coffin I will predict that the Dems have another candidate who will replace Biden.  But be sure, they ain't going with Joe.

 

That's what a lot of people are saying. 

[metisdead]

An off topic slandering troll post and the replies have been removed. 

[ThailandRyan]

16 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

That's what a lot of people are saying. 

You do not mean, no you can not, really, it might just be, no it never can be, but then well ok I can see her putting herself up, yes NANCY ......lol

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, Canuck1966 said:

Nice to see you condoning a pervert

Sad to see you handing down a verdict without a trial or any police or Grand Jury examination of the allegation.

 

Sad, but not at all surprising.

[Cryingdick]

11 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

You do not mean, no you can not, really, it might just be, no it never can be, but then well ok I can see her putting herself up, yes NANCY ......lol

 

That's, just, like, your opinion, man. Come on man, the Chinese, have been our friends, since Nixon. 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Cryingdick

[Tug]

It’s a unsupported he said she said nothing more and by far and away much much less than what trumps done not to mention all the scandalous stories about trump bought and killed none of the people who worked in Biden’s office at the time support it it’s a nothing burger trumps going to have to face the issues not distractions

[Relocated]

14 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Sad to see you handing down a verdict without a trial or any police or Grand Jury examination of the allegation.

 

Sad, but not at all surprising.

His finger may still have some DNA. Check it out.

[Canuck1966]

14 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Sad to see you handing down a verdict without a trial or any police or Grand Jury examination of the allegation.

 

Sad, but not at all surprising.

You've obviously never seen him touching children inappropriately or sniffing their hair

That's enough to make him a pervert or worse in my book

[Chomper Higgot]

I look forward to a swift, full and transparent investigation and charges being brought against the offender, either for sexual assault or bringing false charges.

 

My guess is Biden will vehemently deny the accusations and welcome a swift, full and transparent investigation.

 

I have never subscribed to the slogan/#tag ‘Women Must Be Believed’, but absolutely agree accusers must be listened to and that the Police must examine testimony and evidence regardless of who the accused is.

 

The allegation must be investigated, and must follow where testimonies and evidence leads it.

 

If Biden does not welcome and fully cooperate with the police inquiry, he should immediately step down.

 

I very much look forward to his response.

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Chomper Higgot

[lannarebirth]

2 hours ago, sprq said:

For god's sake, leave him alone and let him have a clear run at Trump! That's the only thing that matters now.

 

For God's sake why couldn't the Democrats come up with anyone better than Biden? There were at least a dozen (revised up from my previous count of 6) better candidates in the Democratic field. Why are they shoving this guy downour throats, other than the fact that he supports all the same interest groups as Trump. I don't think the Democrats even care if they win or lose at this point.