Biden denies Tara Reade's sexual assault allegation, asks National Archives to search for her complaint
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Former Vice President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time denied former staffer Tara Reade's allegation that he sexually assaulted her in 1993.
Biden broke his silence on Tara Reade's allegation of sexual assault after his campaign previously denied it, saying in a statement, "This never happened."
"While the details of these allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault are complicated, two things are not complicated," Biden said. "One is that women deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and when they step forward they should be heard, not silenced. The second is that their stories should be subject to appropriate inquiry and scrutiny."
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.
Biden also said he is requesting that the Secretary of the Senate ask the National Archives to identity a record of a complaint Reade says she filed and release it to the press.
Following the release of his statement, Biden addressed the allegation in an appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe, reiterating, "It is not true. I'm saying unequivocally, it never, never happened. And it didn't. It never happened."
Regarding Reade's complaint, asked on MSNBC if he's confident there's no complaint, Biden said, "I'm confident there's nothing. ... I'm not worried about it at all." Later, he also said, "I know of no one who's aware that any complaint was made."
Asked what he would say to Reade, Biden said, "I don't know what is motivating her. I don't know what's behind any of it. But it's irrelevant. It never happened."
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.
-
Colbert, CBS spar over FCC and Talarico interviewSpeed Read The late night host said CBS pulled his interview with Democratic Texas state representative James Talarico over new FCC rules about political interviews
-
The Week contest: AI bellyachingPuzzles and Quizzes
-
Political cartoons for February 18Cartoons Wednesday’s political cartoons include the DOW, human replacement, and more
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
