Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is weighing in on the sexual assault allegation made against Former Vice President Joe Biden.
Tara Reade, a former staffer while Biden was a senator, is alleging Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993, as IJR previously reported.
Feinstein argued the situation with Biden is “totally different” from the situation with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
“Kavanuagh was under the harshest inspection that we give people over a substantial period of time,” Feinstein told CNN.
Dianne Feinstein, ranking Democrat on Senate Judiciary, argued to us that the Kavanuagh situation is “totally different” than the Tara Reade allegations against Biden. "Kavanuagh was under the harshest inspection that we give people over a substantial period of time.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 7, 2020
"Why didn't she say something — you know when he was Chairman of the Judiciary Committee or after that?" Feinstein rejected the notion of a Dem double standard and argued the situation isn’t “comparable” to Kavanaugh
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 7, 2020
Asked again if she believes Reade: "I think he’s answered all the questions and he’s made clear that he supports her right to come forward." Asked about criticism that Democrats have a double-standard on the topic, Klobuchar didn’t answer and walked into an awaiting car.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 7, 2020
Feinstein questioned why Reade has not come forward until now.
“And I don’t know this person at all who has made the allegations. She came out of nowhere. Where has she been all these years? He was Vice President,” Feinstein said.
She continued, “to attack him this way to me is absolutely ridiculous.”
Feinstein expressed she does not believe the situation is “comparable” to the one with Kavanaugh.
“Why didn’t she say something – you know when he was Chairman of the Judiciary Committee or after that?” Feinstein said.
Biden issued a statement last week publicly denying the allegation.
He said, “They aren’t true. This never happened.”
Reade participated in an interview with Megyn Kelly where she called on Biden to end his presidential campaign, as IJR previously reported.
Several other Democratic colleagues of Biden have come out in support of him.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) doubled down on her support of Biden after being asked about the allegation on a few occasions.
Pelosi was asked if it was a “closed issue.”
She replied, “Well it is for me.”
Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said, “I believe Joe Biden.”
According to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Biden’s responses to the allegation were “credible and convincing.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) recently joined Biden’s list of supporters.
“I don’t believe that it’s consistent with the Joe Biden I know, and I do believe Joe, and I support Joe Biden,” Whitmer said.
