# Former staffer accuses Joe Biden of sexual assault **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 27, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393 "2020-03-27T03:13:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/1 "2020-03-27T03:13:05Z")
Her name is Tara Reade. [Story](https://heavy.com/news/2020/03/tara-reade/). [Full Interview](https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/489719-tara-reade-discusses-biden-allegation-with-hilltvs-rising). [Additional story](https://theintercept.com/2020/03/24/joe-biden-metoo-times-up/). Of course many Democrats have recently said that when a woman alleges sexual assault , we should presume she’s telling the truth. Joe Biden, [for example](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/joe-biden-when-a-woman-alleges-sexual-assault-presume-she-is-telling-the-truth/2018/09/17/7718c532-badd-11e8-a8aa-860695e7f3fc_story.html). I guess now we’ll see how consistent they are in holding that position. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/2 "2020-03-27T03:18:47Z")
My friend says it’s a plot by the Russians ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/3 "2020-03-27T05:31:10Z")
The media is hungry for anything besides Corona and they’ve decided there’s no there there. But, red rose Twitter can’t stop tweeting about it. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/4 "2020-03-27T05:41:33Z")
For now, any such stories are being buried by the virus, but the Trump campaign will probably run heavily with this as November nears (if the epidemic ever lessens to the point where it becomes a background story to the election) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/5 "2020-03-27T06:22:51Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Her name is Tara Reade. [Story](https://heavy.com/news/2020/03/tara-reade/). [Full Interview](https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/489719-tara-reade-discusses-biden-allegation-with-hilltvs-rising). [Additional story](https://theintercept.com/2020/03/24/joe-biden-metoo-times-up/). > > Of course many Democrats have recently said that when a woman alleges sexual assault , we should presume she’s telling the truth. Joe Biden, [for example](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/joe-biden-when-a-woman-alleges-sexual-assault-presume-she-is-telling-the-truth/2018/09/17/7718c532-badd-11e8-a8aa-860695e7f3fc_story.html). I guess now we’ll see how consistent they are in holding that position. That remains not what we say. It remains what our enemies claim we say, because it makes us sound stupid. No one ever says to believe every single woman, as there are obviously are some cases of false reports. That is a strawman. What we say is that accusations should be taken seriously, and seriously investigated. Thing is, this is a situation where the woman in question has changed her story several times, and has said, and I quote, “President Putin scares the power elite in America because he is a compassionate, caring, visionary leader.” She appears to have changed her story because her previous version wasn’t getting any traction. But this version sounds even more fake, with lines out of a badly written novel. This is a common form of lying–of constantly making things bigger and bigger. It’s not a common way that victims act–they remember the trauma and stick with it, with only minor details varying due to memory. Changing your story in a substantial way is a legitimate reason to treat an accusation with suspicion. As is her repeating Russian propaganda at a time when Russia is currently known to be trying to mess with our election process. These are far more substantive than claiming someone is lying because someone else doesn’t remember, alleging a calendar proves something didn’t happen, and other such things. That said, the accusations should be taken seriously. They should actually investigate. It’s just that, unlike in most, we actually have a reason to think she could be lying. And it’s not “because I don’t like what she’s saying” or “because the accused is the real victim.” ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/6 "2020-03-27T09:27:09Z")
All accusations, including this one, should be taken seriously and investigated. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/7 "2020-03-27T14:17:58Z")
Should be investigated thoroughly. The fact that she has written love letters to Vladimir Putin, and she comes forward now that Biden is the nominee against Putins puppet (Trump) is kind of bothersome. > **[Why a Liberal Democrat Supports Vladimir Putin](https://web.archive.org/web/20190404043945/https://medium.com/@shewrites94/why-a-liberal-democrat-supports-vladimir-putin-f54ca2a3a405)** > > By: Alexandra Tara Reade Should still be investigated though. Its sad that of all the moderate candidates, the voters picked Biden. They could’ve had Buttigieg who would’ve been a much better candidate. Or Harris. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/8 "2020-03-27T14:18:47Z")
Well this is fucking troubling. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/9 "2020-03-27T14:28:59Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Should be investigated thoroughly. > > The fact that she has written love letters to Vladimir Putin, and she comes forward now that Biden is the nominee against Putins puppet (Trump) is kind of bothersome. > > [https://web.archive.org/web/20190404043945/https://medium.com/@shewrites94/why-a-liberal-democrat-supports-vladimir-putin-f54ca2a3a405](https://web.archive.org/web/20190404043945/https://medium.com/@shewrites94/why-a-liberal-democrat-supports-vladimir-putin-f54ca2a3a405) > > Should still be investigated though. > > Its sad that of all the moderate candidates, the voters picked Biden. They could’ve had Buttigieg who would’ve been a much better candidate. Or Harris. There is speculation her articles weren’t even written by her, they were written originally by a Russian. [https://twitter.com/adanthar/status/1243254015099572225](https://twitter.com/adanthar/status/1243254015099572225) This story gets weirder and weirder. Should still be investigated obviously. If its true its sad that our choices are two elderly men who may both have dementia nad a history of sexual assault. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/10 "2020-03-27T14:37:09Z")
Yes, this should be investigated. That said, just like the Blasey-Ford “investigation,” I’m not sure what anyone actually expects. It’s a he-said/she-said account of an incident 27 years ago. There is going to be no additional evidence turned up in an “investigation.” You either believe her or you don’t. So go ahead, investigate and we’ll discuss this again if anything magically happens to turn up, like maybe she foolishly wrote an email to a friend about how she was going to make up a sexual assault allegation. I doubt it, but let’s go through the motions anyway. At the end of the day, whether or not you believe her, this is very, very bad optics for a man who already has an image of being a weird back-rubbing creeper. I cannot for the life of me understand why women support him. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/11 "2020-03-27T14:40:01Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That remains not what we say. It remains what our enemies claim we say, because it makes us sound stupid. No one ever says to believe every single woman, as there are obviously are some cases of false reports. That is a strawman. > > What we say is that accusations should be taken seriously, and seriously investigated. > > Thing is, this is a situation where the woman in question has changed her story several times, and has said, and I quote, “President Putin scares the power elite in America because he is a compassionate, caring, visionary leader.” > > She appears to have changed her story because her previous version wasn’t getting any traction. But this version sounds even more fake, with lines out of a badly written novel. This is a common form of lying–of constantly making things bigger and bigger. It’s not a common way that victims act–they remember the trauma and stick with it, with only minor details varying due to memory. > > Changing your story in a substantial way is a legitimate reason to treat an accusation with suspicion. As is her repeating Russian propaganda at a time when Russia is currently known to be trying to mess with our election process. These are far more substantive than claiming someone is lying because someone else doesn’t remember, alleging a calendar proves something didn’t happen, and other such things. > > That said, the accusations should be taken seriously. They should actually investigate. It’s just that, unlike in most, we actually have a reason to think she could be lying. And it’s not “because I don’t like what she’s saying” or “because the accused is the real victim.” This sounds eerily like the things the Republicans were saying about the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford … ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/12 "2020-03-27T14:42:20Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > At the end of the day, whether or not you believe her, this is very, very bad optics for a man who already has an image of being a weird back-rubbing creeper. I cannot for the life of me understand why women support him. Women support Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/13 "2020-03-27T14:49:28Z")
Obama’s vetting team and a dozen years of GOP operatives didn’t unearth this. Biden will have to respond but similarly this needs to be looked into further. Why wait to the point he is on the cusp of the nomination and all but one other candidate remains? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/14 "2020-03-27T14:56:43Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Women support Trump. I don’t understand that either. > [@Boycott](#): > > Obama’s vetting team and a dozen years of GOP operatives didn’t unearth this. Biden will have to respond but similarly this needs to be looked into further. Why wait to the point he is on the cusp of the nomination and all but one other candidate remains? 2008 was a different time. As for why now, that’s also exactly what Republicans said about Blasey-Ford’s accusation. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/15 "2020-03-27T15:06:02Z")
“Let’s investigate this” is exactly what the Republicans _weren’t_ saying about Blasey-Ford’s accusations. Republicans like to trot out the possibility of false accusations. And, yes, there are false accusations out there. But what they never seem to realize is that the existence of false accusations and of true accusations are _both_ reasons to investigate. If an accusation is true, then of course we want to know that. And if an accusation is false, then of course we want to know that, too. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/16 "2020-03-27T15:10:18Z")
Who should investigate - the FBI? Local police? The Senate? The press? It’s all well and good to say it should be investigated, but saying it is easy. How seriously should we take this, and based on what? > [@Kearsen1](#): > > This sounds eerily like the things the Republicans were saying about the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford … No kidding. I thought the white male patriarchy questioning women about their truth was why we have a problem with sexual assault, false accusations are much rarer than real sexual assault, etc., etc. _:shrugs:_ The Dems will say it should be investigated, and then drop the subject. No political hay they can make out of this one, or at least not the kind they want. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/17 "2020-03-27T15:12:22Z")
So even if this is true, we’ll still have to choose between Biden or Trump. Easy choice for me. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/18 "2020-03-27T15:12:50Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > “Let’s investigate this” is exactly what the Republicans _weren’t_ saying about Blasey-Ford’s accusations. > > Republicans like to trot out the possibility of false accusations. And, yes, there are false accusations out there. But what they never seem to realize is that the existence of false accusations and of true accusations are _both_ reasons to investigate. If an accusation is true, then of course we want to know that. And if an accusation is false, then of course we want to know that, too. Agree. Also I’d add with Kavanaugh there were three accusations. Two were pretty well discredited (one of which was a Michael Avenatti led case) leaving Blasey-Ford as the sole credible accusation. I want this woman’s claim to be investigated in so if Biden is guilty of the charge he is removed off the ticket. My question of the timing surrounds that issue of how it’s come out as he’s the presumptive nominee. If it was last year Biden would not have been able to run and the race would be entirely different. I am sure plenty of media outlets beside a soundcloud podcast would have listened and looked into the story … as they did with those women who claimed he got too handsy for their comfort. ---
**Author:** ![Unreconstructed\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@Unreconstructed\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unreconstructed_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/19 "2020-03-27T15:12:52Z")
Bet Bernie wouldn’t have this problem. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/20 "2020-03-27T15:13:57Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > So even if this is true, we’ll still have to choose between Biden or Trump. > > Easy choice for me. Biden isn’t even the nominee yet, this is going to ruin Democrats’ credibility and Al Franken will have resigned for nothing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393.md?page=2)