I was asked by Trump supporters what I think of the allegations against Joe Biden. Every time they ask me, it always ends with their statement that this is a “scandal” that will eventually bring down Joe Biden. They insist people aren’t mad about it yet because they are, as of yet, too stupid to understand what a big deal it is. (That worked well with Benghazi.) I note that in all of my conversations, never once has anyone brought up the goal of any kind of justice for an alleged victim, it’s always how this will hurt Joe Biden.
The fact that their own candidate, Donald J. Trump, has been credibly accused of both rape and sexual assault by more than two dozen women eludes them, as well as the fact that Trump was caught bragging on tape about exactly what Reade has now alleged Biden did to her.
I’ll give my thoughts on the allegations of both men in a minute, but this is how I respond to the MAGA crowd who engages with me. It’s the same answer to all of them, and thought I’d share with you. I know exactly what should happen, and I know exactly what I would do if I was Joe Biden.
Allegations of sexual assault and rape are extremely serious. I’d call for a complete and open FBI investigation, free of sycophant Bill Barr’s influence, to investigate all sexual assault allegations by the candidates for president. It makes absolutely no sense to say you should only investigate the single allegation against one candidate, while ignoring the 25 alleged victims of the other. The investigation should be given wide latitude, and all applicable documents should be accessed. (At this point in time, Biden is releasing everything, while Trump has stonewalled for years.)
When I say open, I mean really open: none of that Kavanaugh bullshit where Trump forbade the FBI from digging too deeply and limiting who they could talk with. The FBI spent a grand total of 48 hours, and didn’t take calls from people who said they had information. One alleged victim is demanding Trump turning over DNA to the author who claims he assaulted her, and she still has the unwashed original outfit. If that’s also required of Biden, if the investigation warrants it, so be it.
First of all, this is just the right thing to do. This is in line with our principles and should occur regardless. The most important thing as the truth, to the best of our capability, should come out. Let the chips fall where they may.
Second, this shuts the controversy down cold.
Third, Trump would never, ever, EVER agree to do this.
Why?
Because Donald Trump is definitely capable of doing this, and the allegations against Biden are ridiculously flimsy. Donald Trump was personal friends with Epstein, and an alleged victim who was 13-years old at the time claims that she was brutally raped by Trump at a New York residence he used on four separate occasions. That case has never been investigated. He has been accused of forcing himself on multiple women. He is a scumbag: Donald Trump paid off a porn star to cheat on his wife right after she gave birth to his son. Donald Trump openly lusts after his own offspring. Donald Trump was well-known to have barged into dressing rooms at his pageants. He brags about sexual assault on women.
In contrast, Joe Biden has been a champion for women’s rights. He has never had an allegation of misconduct until Tara Reade, and she is simply not credible. Her accounting of the incident with Biden has changed radically over time. She repeatedly praised Biden on social media, but she turned on him the same time she became a vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders. She is obsessed with Vladimir Putin, saying "President Putin's obvious reverence for women, children and animals, and his ability with sports is intoxicating to American women."
Blasey Ford was credible. She had literally hundreds of letters of support from former classmates, alumni, work colleagues, students, mentors and over 50 Yale Law School faculty members. Meanwhile, the Associated Press contacted 21 former Biden staffers, and not one can recall any Reade complaint about Biden. Reade also said she formally complained to the Senate personnel office—there is no record of it. Biden has never had another allegation in his long 50 year career, which is not typical of a predator. Kavanaugh had three that came forward, and Trump has 25.
While the Republicans are fawning over Tara Reade, because she is a political pawn, they smeared Ford and essentially sent their increasingly wacky fringe against her. She was swamped with so many death threats she had to flee her home, quit her job, and hire full time private security.
Here’s the thing. I have an open mind. Maybe the independent investigation will turn up evidence that Tara Reade was right all along, and simultaneously, all of Donald Trump’s allegations were false. I strongly doubt that, but I’m certainly willing to bet on a fair and open investigation.
I’ll bet anything that the GOP isn’t willing to do that, though. And that’s fine. If they do agree, great… let’s do this. If not, bring up the offer to do so every time. They never will—for good reason.
