Politics

Pelosi Does Not Believe Tara Reade, Says She’s ‘Satisfied’ With How Biden Has Responded

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• Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she is satisfied with how 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden has responded to Tara Reade’s allegations of sexual assault against him.
• Her comments came after she endorsed Biden for president Monday.
• CNN’s Alisyn Camerota reminded Pelosi that Biden has not actually responded to Reade’s allegations — but his campaign has.

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she is satisfied with how 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden has responded to Tara Reade’s allegations of sexual assault against him.

Pelosi discussed Reade’s allegations for the first time in a Thursday morning appearance on CNN after she endorsed Biden for president Monday. “New Day” host Alisyn Camerota asked Pelosi whether it is time for Biden to address the allegations himself.

“Well, I have great sympathy for any women who bring forth an allegation,” Pelosi said. “I’m a big, strong supporter of the #MeToo movement. I think it has been a great — made a great contribution to our country.”

She continued: “And I do support Joe Biden. I’m satisfied with how he has responded. I know him, I was proud to endorse him on Monday, very proud to endorse him. And so, I’m satisfied with that.”

Camerota pushed Pelosi on a statement, reminding her that Biden has not addressed the allegations himself, but only through his campaign.

“Should he directly, publicly address it?” Camerota asked. Pelosi did not directly respond to the question.

“You know, it’s a matter that he has to deal with,” Pelosi said. “But I am impressed with the people who worked for him at the time saying that they absolutely never heard one iota of information about this, nobody ever brought forth a claim or had anybody else tell them about such a claim.”

She added: “But, again, we have an important election at hand, one that is, I think, one of the most important ones we had. We say that every election, but I think this is the most crucial, and I supported him because he’s a person of great values, integrity, authenticity, imagination and connection to the American people.”

“He’s the personification of hope and optimism for our country,” she said. “I was proud to endorse him, America needs a person like Joe Biden with his, again, his integrity and his vision for the future.”

The Democratic House speaker’s support for Biden contrasts with her support for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser Christine Blasey Ford, who leveled accusations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh in September 2018, launching a media onslaught and a series of congressional hearings into the allegations against the now-Supreme Court justice. Throughout these events, Pelosi expressed support for Ford.

“It took great courage for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to come forward with her story,” Pelosi tweeted Sept. 18, 2018. “The American people are owed a thorough investigation of the grave & credible allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.”

Pelosi also tweeted on Sept. 26: “We must #BelieveSurvivors. I’m proud to stand with my Democratic colleagues in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.”

This morning, I took time to watch Christine Blasey Ford’s deeply moving opening statement. Thank you for your bravery, Dr. Ford. #BelieveSurvivors #KavanaughHearings pic.twitter.com/3IzD4TsVCU

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) September 27, 2018

She has not responded to multiple requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation regarding Reade’s allegations. The former Biden Senate staffer accused the former vice president of kissing her, touching her and penetrating her with his fingers without her consent when she worked for him in 1993.

The Biden campaign, which has not responded to many requests for comment from the DCNF, has denied the assault and said it “absolutely did not happen.”

An analysis by The Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday found that Biden has faced 19 interviews spanning almost four hours since Reade came forward. During these interviews, he has faced 142 questions without being asked about Reade.

Five people have corroborated different details of Reade’s account against Biden, a DCNF review of public statements found: her mother, her brother, her close friend, her former neighbor and her former coworker.