Some top Democrats say they want the country to move past Tara Reade's sexual assault allegations, even though Biden is calling for an investigation
Associated Press
Some prominent Democrats are calling for the country to move past a sexual assault allegation against former Vice President Joe Biden, even though the candidate himself is calling for an investigation.
On Friday morning, Biden appeared on nation TV and vehemently denied Tara Reade's allegations that he harassed and assaulted her in 1993, but the presumptive Democratic nominee called for an investigation into Reade's claims.
"They should be heard and then it should be investigated," Biden said of women who make sexual misconduct allegations.
Even after Biden called for Reade's personnel file to be released, prominent Democrats continued to push Americans to "move on" from the allegations, citing Biden's moral character and a lack of evidence to prove Reade's claims.
Many prominent Democrats are calling for the country to move past a sexual assault allegation against former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, even though the candidate himself is calling for an investigation of the matter.
On Friday morning, Biden appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and vehemently denied Tara Reade's allegations that Biden sexually harassed and assaulted her when she worked in his Senate office in 1993. But Biden said he believes all allegations should be investigated.
"They should be heard and then it should be investigated," Biden said of women who make sexual misconduct allegations.
Biden called for the National Archives to release any records that might shed light on whether a complaint was ever filed against him for sexual misconduct. (The National Archives told Insider on Friday that it doesn't have the records, which instead are controlled by the Senate. But Senate rules bar the release of personnel files for 50 years after they're created.)
Even after Biden called for Reade's personnel file to be released, prominent Democrats continued to push Americans to "move on" from the allegations, citing Biden's moral character and a lack of evidence to prove Reade's claims.
Leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a leader in the fight against sexual misconduct in Washington, said they believe Biden's denials and didn't call for any further investigation of the matter.
"I have complete respect for the whole #MeToo movement," Pelosi said. "There's also due process and the fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden."
Biden's campaign previously circulated talking points that falsely claimed that The New York Times' April investigation of Reade's allegations found her claims weren't credible. This point was regurgitated by some of Biden's allies, including Stacey Abrams, a former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate who's lobbying to be Biden's vice presidential running mate.
"I believe that women deserve to be heard and I believe they need to be listened to, but I also believe that those allegations have to be investigated by credible sources," Abrams told CNN on Tuesday. "The New York Times did a deep investigation and they found that the accusation was not credible. I believe Joe Biden."
The Times pushed back on the campaign, pointing out that its report didn't come to a conclusion about the credibility of the allegations.
Even after Biden's call for an investigation on Friday, some Democrats are still misleadingly arguing that Reade's allegations have been discredited and pushing for the country to "move on."
"I believe @JoeBiden. Anyone who knows him knows this allegation is antithetical to his character, to the culture in his office, to his soul," Jennifer Granholm, a former Democratic governor of Michigan, tweeted on Friday. "He has never been that kind of guy. Ever. The story has been heard and vetted. No staffer remembers it. No complaint found. Move on."
Gillibrand, who was the first Senate Democrat to call on former Sen. Al Franken to resign amid several sexual misconduct accusations, unequivocally defended Biden during a Tuesday conference call.
"I stand by Vice President Biden," Gillibrand said. "He's devoted his life to supporting women and he has vehemently denied this allegation."
Influential women's rights groups reportedly urged Biden to publicly address Reade's allegations for weeks, after drafting their own public letter.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the political arm of the organization, called on Biden to advance the national conversation on sexual misconduct by putting foward "policy solutions" and taking "personal responsibility." The group didn't call for an investigation into Reade's allegations.
"We are glad to see Vice President Biden take a needed first step in addressing this issue head on. We now look to Biden to continue to push this conversation, and our country, forward," the group said on Friday. "We need, and expect, someone who wants to hold the highest office in the land to push our country to have a real reckoning on sexual violence and assault — one that both includes personal responsibility, and gives survivors the hope of real solutions so that they never have to experience this trauma again."
Kayla Epstein contributed to this report.
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