GOP sees opening vs. Biden
WASHINGTON — A sexual assault allegation is raising Joe Biden’s first big challenge as the Democrats’ presidential nominee, fueling Republican attacks and leaving many in his own party in an uncomfortable bind.
Biden’s campaign has denied the allegation from his former Senate staffer, Tara Reade, who has said Biden assaulted her in the basement of a Capitol Hill office building in the 1990s. But the story garnered fresh attention this week after two of Reade’s associates said she previously told them about elements of her allegations.
Republicans are seizing on the allegation to portray Democrats as hypocrites who only defend women who allege wrongdoing against conservatives.
Democrats, meanwhile, are in an awkward position of vigorously validating women who come forward with their stories while defending the man who will be their standard bearer in what many in the party consider the most important election of their lifetimes.
The tension is heightened because
Biden himself is saying nothing about the allegation.
Like many Americans, he has spent the past several weeks at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. He hasn’t held a press briefing since April 2, before multiple news organizations reported Reade’s story.
The public appearances he has made, such as fundraisers or events alongside prominent Democrats, have been controlled.
Some Democrats say that approach isn’t working and are urging a more forceful response.
Some, most notably women, say they are paying close attention to the allegations, which gave them pause.
Alex Sink, a donor and former Democratic nominee for governor of Florida, said she was “not happy” to read about the allegations against Biden. While she still plans to vote for him, she worried his campaign was too quick to categorically deny Reade’s story.
“They put themselves immediately out on a limb by saying, ‘It didn’t happen. We categorically deny it. It’s not true,’ ” Sink said. “That’s a dangerous position to be in because they aren’t leaving any room for themselves.”
The silence from the Biden campaign has given Republicans an opening. The GOP argues that Democrats aren’t being consistent, pointing to the aggressive questioning and coverage of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh when he faced an allegation of sexual assault.
“The left, and their media allies, has one standard for Republicans and another standard for Democrats like Joe Biden,” said Steve Guest, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee. “The double standard is appalling.”