As most Democratic leaders and members of the mainstream media continue to treat Joe Biden accuser Tara Reade far differently than they did Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford, far-left Congresswoman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has declared that she believes Reade.
Speaking with the U.K.’s Sunday Times, Omar said that justice should not be “denied” regarding Reade’s allegation against Biden.
“I do believe Reade,” said Omar. “Justice can be delayed, but should never be denied.”
Omar also said that Biden would not be the nominee if she were the one making the final decision.
Earlier this month, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a member of the radical “Squad” along with Omar, said that Tara Reade’s allegation against Biden is not “clear cut” while conceding that “something has happened” between the two.
“There have been investigative journalists that have corroborated certain aspects of her account – that is undeniable – [and] have raised questions about other aspects of her account,” Ocasio-Cortez told NPR. “It certainly seems as though something has happened. I’m not sure… Frankly, this is a messy moment, and I think we need to acknowledge that – that it is not clear-cut.”
Ocasio-Cortez added that she does not believe Tara Reade to be a political actor.
“While a lot of folks, again, are trying to jump to the political implications, she has never explicitly said ‘don’t support Joe Biden,’” Ocasio-Cortez said. “She hasn’t explicitly said anything in terms of a political remedy that she wants. If anything, it simply sounds like she wants to be heard.”
However, other prominent Democrats, including the women on Biden’s shortlist to become his running mate, have either dismissed Reade’s claims or defended Joe Biden outright. Some progressives, such as author Linda Hirshman, have argued people should vote for Joe Biden despite the credibility of Reade’s claims:
All major Democratic Party figures have indicated they’re not budging on the presumptive nominee, and the transaction costs of replacing him would be suicidal. Barring some miracle, it’s going to be Mr. Biden.
So what is the greatest good or the greatest harm? Mr. Biden, and the Democrats he may carry with him into government, are likely to do more good for women and the nation than his competition, the worst president in the history of the Republic. Compared with the good Mr. Biden can do, the cost of dismissing Tara Reade — and, worse, weakening the voices of future survivors — is worth it.
In March, Reade claimed that then-Senator Joe Biden sexually assaulted her while she served as an aide in his Senate offices during the Clinton administration. She has since detailed her account in multiple interviews and filed a criminal complaint against the former vice president with the Washington, D.C., police department. A former neighbor of Reade and Reade’s brother have both publicly stated that Reade told them of the alleged assault in the 1990s. Recently surfaced evidence also suggests that Reade’s mother called in to CNN’s Larry King in the 1990s to complain about a prominent senator with whom her daughter had “problems.”
Earlier this month, The Associated Press reported that two other people, both of whom wished to remain anonymous, said that Reade spoke of Biden’s behavior prior to going public. Follow that, new evidence emerged that appeared to support Reade’s claim when the San Louis Obispo Tribune reported on court documents from 1996 that revealed she had complained to her then-husband about sexual harassment from someone in Biden’s office in 1993.
“The declaration — exclusively obtained by The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California — does not say Biden committed the harassment nor does it mention Reade’s more recent allegations of sexual assault,” reported the outlet. “Reade’s then-husband Theodore Dronen wrote the court declaration. Dronen at the time was contesting a restraining order Reade filed against him days after he filed for divorce, Superior Court records show.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.