Politics

Hickenlooper Says He Believes Tara Reade, Still Supports Joe Biden

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Senate candidate and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said Wednesday that though he believes Tara Reade’s allegations of sexual assault against 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden, he still supports him.

Hickenlooper discussed his support for the former vice president as well as Reade’s allegations Wednesday evening with the Colorado Sun’s John Frank. Reade has accused Biden of kissing her, touching her and penetrating her with his fingers without her consent. Biden has vigorously denied these claims on multiple occasions.

“Do you believe Tara Reade’s allegations against Joe Biden — and will you still support him?” Frank asked Hickenlooper.

“Any woman who comes forward and talks about a sexual assault that they’ve had to endure, they deserve to be listened to and they deserve to be believed,” Hickenlooper responded. “And I look at Tara Reade as someone who showed a great deal of courage to come forward and talk about what happened to her.”

WATCH:

.@Hickenlooper asked about #TaraReade allegations against @JoeBiden. Hickenlooper says he believes her "to a large extent, yes." #COSen #CoPolitics pic.twitter.com/NISX33K5Pl

— Colorado Rising PAC (@CORisingPAC) June 11, 2020

“In the end, I still support Joe Biden for president,” he added. “Absolutely.”

Frank repeatedly pushed Hickenlooper for a direct yes or no response to whether the Senate candidate believes Reade’s allegations against the former vice president.

Hickenlooper responded, “To a large extent, yes.”

He is not the first Democratic politician to say they believe Reade’s allegations — that Biden sexually assaulted her — but still support the former vice president.

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that Reade’s allegations are not “clear cut,” but that “something” happened. She has also said the claims are “legitimate to talk about.” Ocasio-Cortez will still back the former vice president and is slated to co-chair a task force to advise him.

Neither Hickenlooper nor Reade immediately responded to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.