Biden to front over sex assault claim
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is expected today to publicly discuss for the first time a claim that he sexually assaulted a former Senate aide, amid rising calls in his party that he address the allegation. Biden will appear for an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. The network promoted the interview as the venue in which the former vice president would ‘‘respond for the first time to the recent allegation of sexual assault.’’ Biden’s campaign, which has denied the allegation, had no immediate comment.
But Biden’s expected November opponent,
President Donald Trump, said during a White
House coronavirus event yesterday that
Biden ‘‘should respond.’’ Trump said he ‘‘didn’t know anything about’’ the allegation by former
Senate aide Tara Reade, and suggested that her account could be a ‘‘false accusation.’’ ‘‘I know all about false accusations. I’ve been falsely charged numerous times,’’ Trump said. More than 20 women have accused the president of sexual misconduct, ranging from the late 1970s through 2016, when he was a presidential candidate. Trump has denied the allegations. Over the past week, Democrats have increasingly indicated they want to hear Biden address the allegations after weeks of silence on the matter. His refusal to discuss it has put other Democrats in the position of defending him while also advocating that women alleging sexual harassment or assault should be supported.