As the dust settles in Washington, an anxious country looks forward to a new leader. On 20th January, Joe Biden is set to become the 46th president of the United States. Biden’s inauguration comes just weeks after a violent attack on the US Capitol. Under such circumstances, the hopes of a distressed population lie entirely upon a new savior. Mr. Biden has promised an escape from the past i.e. the repercussions of Trump’s presidency. However, Biden’s past has stirred controversy among people troubled by the rise of misogyny and sexism under the presidency of Trump. Therefore, Tara Reade’s accusations could prove to be damning to a president whose strongest attribute is being different from his predecessor.
On 3rd April 2019, Ms. Reade including 7 other women accused Joe Biden of inappropriate touching. Reade, who was an employee in Biden’s senate office, in 1993, recalled the incident in the following words: “He used to put his hand on my shoulder and run his finger up my neck. I would just kind of freeze and wait for him to stop doing that.” Before Reade’s accusations, Nevada politician Lucy Flores had been under criticism after accusing Biden of inappropriately touching her. An article by Vox examines Flores’ and other accusations against Biden. As a result, Flores’ was quickly shunned by the political establishment as a ‘Russian pawn’. Reade recalls seeing the situation and deciding to join the growing list of accusers in support of other women. “A confidant of Reade’s at the time, granted anonymity by The Union, confirmed that Reade relayed the story shortly after the events occurred.” In a statement issued out as a response, Biden denies acting inappropriately.
In January 2020, Reade was encouraged to share her story with Times Up, an organization set up to give women a platform to share their stories with the general public and the media against their abusers. The organization reached popularity when it backed the accusers of Harvey Weinstein and many other Hollywood celebrities. However, by February, Reade was denied any help from the organization.
“By February, she learned from a new conversation with Time’s Up, which also involved Director Sharyn Tejani, that no assistance could be provided because the person she was accusing, Biden, was a candidate for federal office, and assisting a case against him could jeopardize the organization’s nonprofit status.” – Ryan Grim, The Intercept.
In March, Reade accused Biden of sexual assault on Katie Halper’s podcast. Reade recalls the incident occurring on Capitol grounds after she delivered the Senator his gym bag. Following the allegations of sexual assault, the mainstream media turned silent on Reade’s accusation, only a few reported or questioned the claims. In fact, it took the New York Times an entire month to publish the story. Due to such brazen carelessness by the media on serious allegations of sexual assault, it wasn’t until May, when Biden bothered to respond.
Biden denied the allegations on MSNBC’s Morning Joe in the following words: “I’m saying unequivocally, it never, never happened.” While Biden denies the claims, they are supported by Reade’s brother, neighbor, and two close friends. Reade’s neighbor recalling the incident, states, “This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it.” The Times and the Washington Post after interviewing the employees of the (then) Senator’s office and other women who accused Biden, released stories stating they found no pattern of sexual assault. However, a clip from Larry King’s show, shows a caller reporting that her daughter had ‘problems’ with an influential senator. Reade claims the anonymous caller is her late mother.
Reade claims after the incident she filed an official complaint with the Senate personnel office, however she did not mention Biden or sexual assault, as she feared retribution and wanted to report the story personally fearing someone else might read it. However, the Secretary of the Senate has refused to release the document.
The aftermath of Reade’s allegations severely damaged the reputation of the Democratic party and its base as ‘pro-women’ compared to the Republican party. While prominent politicians such as former president Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi defended Biden, the party’s avid supporters resorted to vigorously attacking Reade. After Reade accused Biden during his bid for the presidency, the party’s supporters denounced Reade as a ‘Russian pawn’. Moreover, alongside misogynistic attacks, the notorious question, ‘where was she before?’ also resurfaced. Therefore, it is imperative to be made unequivocal, that neither women nor their suffering can be used as pawns to make political ends meet. Lastly, the question arises whether or not Biden will be able to uphold the expectations set with him after being involved in this major case of sexual assault.
