Tara Reade, a former staffer in Joe Biden’s Senate office who has accused him of sexual assault, on Thursday called for Biden to drop his presidential bid.
In an interview with Megyn Kelly, Reade said Biden “should not be running on character for the President of the United States.”
“You want him to withdraw?” Kelly asked.
“I wish he would. But he won’t,” Reade replied. “But I wish he would. That’s how I feel emotionally.”
MK EXCLUSIVE: #TaraReade responds to #JoeBiden; calls for him to drop out pic.twitter.com/jxHAUYaWVU
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 7, 2020
In March, during an interview with the progressive journalist Katie Halper, Reade alleged that Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993, penetrating her with his fingers without consent.
In an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” earlier this month, Biden “unequivocally” denied the allegation.
Reade initially told a local California paper last year that Biden “used to put his hand on my shoulder and run his finger up my neck.” Those initial allegations of harassment did not include the allegation of sexual assault that she later made to Halper.
Reade has also alleged that she was pushed out of her job in Biden’s office after filing a complaint about Biden’s behavior, but she has said that the complaint details the allegation of harassment and not the allegation of assault.
Reade’s former neighbor, a former colleague, and her brother have said that Reade shared aspects of her allegations with them in the 90s.
“This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it,” Reade’s former neighbor Lynda LaCasse told Business Insider.
Separately in the interview with Kelly, Reade said that she would be willing to go under oath and subject herself to cross examination regarding her assault claim. She said she would participate in a polygraph test “if Joe Biden takes one” as well.
MK EXCLUSIVE: Will Tara Reade go under oath or take a polygraph? pic.twitter.com/aBXohhg14n
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 7, 2020
