On Friday, MSNBC’s Morning Joe conducted the first exclusive interview with presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden about the sexual assault allegations leveled against him by former Senate staffer Tara Reade. The exchange became quite contentious as co-host Mika Brzezinski repeatedly called out Biden’s hypocrisy and demanded that more records from his Senate career be released to thoroughly investigate the claims.
Right at the top of the interview, Brzezinski asked directly: “She says in 1993, Mr. Vice President, that you pinned her against the wall and reached under her clothing and penetrated her with your fingers….did you sexually assault Tara Reade?” Biden responded: “No. It is not true. I’m saying unequivocally it never, never happened. And it didn’t.”
Brzezinski spent a good portion of the nearly 20-minute segment pointing to comments from Biden hyping accusations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, but now being highly skeptical of Reade’s claims:
You were unequivocal, Mr. Vice President, back in 2018 during the Kavanaugh controversy and hearings. And you said that women should be believed. You said this, “For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus nationally, you’ve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she is talking about is real. Whether or not she forgets the facts, whether or not it’s been made worse or better over time.” She’s going to be going on national television on Sunday. Tara Reade is coming forward in the glaring lights, to use your words, should we not start off with the presumption that the essence of what she’s talking about is real? She says you sexually assaulted her.
Later, she pressed: “Given the fact that you have said in the past that if a woman could goes under the lights and talks about something like this, we have to consider that the essence of this is real. Is the essence of what she is saying real? Why do you think she’s doing this?” Biden complained: “I’m not going to question her motive or get into that at all. I don’t know why these she’s saying this. I don’t know why after 27 years, all of a sudden, this gets raised. I don’t understand it.”
Brzesinski didn’t let him off the hook: “But Mr. Vice President, as it pertained to Dr. Ford, everyone wanted – high-level Democrats said she should be believed, that they believed it happened. You said if someone like Dr. Ford were to come out, the essence of what she is saying has to be believed, has to be real. Why? Why is it real for Dr. Ford but not for Tara Reade?”
Clearly frustrated, Biden declared: “These claims are not true. There’s no – they’re not true. I don’t know what else I can say to you.” Brzezinski assured: “Well, I’m going to try to ask many different ways.” She then brought entire Democratic Party to account for its hypocrisy on the scandal:
Stacey Abrams said during the Kavanaugh hearings, “I believe women. I believe survivors of assault should be supported and their voices heard. Kirsten Gillibrand tweeted, “Do we believe women? Do we give them the opportunity to tell their story? We must be a country that says ‘yes’ every time.” They now both support you. Nancy Pelosi falls into this category too, as well as many other leaders in the Democratic Party. Are women to be believed? Are women to be believed unless it pertains to you?
Biden could be heard making an exasperated sigh.
Brzezinski followed up: “But why is it different now? Do you regret what you said during the Kavanaugh hearings?”
In addition to hammering Biden’s hypocrisy, Brzezinski also urged that the former Vice President’s records from his entire Senate career be released and carefully examined for any evidence of misconduct:
another hollywood script gone soo wrong. profiling mika’s facial expressions and verbal tone, she was reading off of a poor script. the predators’s responses were to quick and articulated in a coherent manner . his multiple, previous gaffs, under pressure, were not present; therefore, he had read the script and the prompters were quing him . recall the ford is a fraud and a fanciful figmentation of feinstein and bar fly pelosi . it just doesn’t work. stacy adams is on her knees and will do anything to be the vp.. she is several sandwiches short of southern picnic basket.
Thank goodness Biden has at least exposed that over 600,000 have died of CV-19.
Now, why won’t he expose the University of Delaware records of the assault complaint by Reade? Biden said the FBI should I investigate Kavanaugh. Sounds like the FBI should investigate Biden. Or at least the public should see the video of Biden sexually assaulting young girls in public.
@Meremortal:
when all hell breaks loose or just a little speeding tick: you never, never never call the fbi. unlike the tv series, they will screw it up sooo badly the perpetrator will walk away and sue the either the state or local government and win. the fbi is a good old boy fraternity. ever notice that only republicans are arrested and no democraps?