Pelosi says she's 'satisfied' with Biden's response to assault allegation even though he hasn't personally addressed it


Former Vice President Joe Biden has not personally responded to a former staffer's allegations of sexual assault, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is still "satisfied with how he has responded."
Pelosi spoke to CNN on Thursday about former Biden staffer Tara Reade's allegation that he sexually assaulted her in the 1990s. Biden hasn't responded to the allegations himself, though the campaign denies them.
Asked if Biden should publicly and personally address the allegation, Pelosi said, "I do support Joe Biden. I'm satisfied with how he has responded. I know him. I was proud to endorse him." CNN's Alisyn Camerota noted, though, "To be clear, he hasn't addressed it. His campaign has addressed it, but he has not directly addressed it."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Camerota then asked again, "Should he, directly, publicly, address it?" Pelosi dodged the question, saying "it's a matter that he has to deal with."
Biden has been facing calls to address Reade's allegation himself in recent days, with The Washington Post's editorial board recently writing that "the way to signal he takes Ms. Reade's case seriously, and the cases of women like her seriously, is to go before the media and the public ready to listen and to reply."
Biden's campaign has also been sending out talking points on how to address the Reade allegations, BuzzFeed News reported, which included a claim that The New York Times found that "this incident did not happen." The Times has clarified that this is not the case, with a spokesperson saying, "Our investigation made no conclusion either way." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants