Tucker: Kirsten Gillibrand sticks by Joe Biden despite allegations
There is nothing more corrupt than institutional feminism.
During a virtual fundraiser on Wednesday evening, former Vice President Joe Biden was asked about sexual assault -- in the military.
Following his virtual women's town hall, where he notably was not asked about the sexual assault allegation made by former Senate staffer Tara Reade, a woman named Nancy Parrish, who is an advocate of combating sexual assault in the military, asked the presumptive Democratic nominee if he would support “moving the military justice system into the 21st century by empowering experienced military prosecutors to make prosecution decisions for non-military crimes -- serious felonies like rape, murder, and child abuse.”
"The answer is yes, yes, yes," Biden responded. "When I was vice president, that was my position as well. As a matter of fact, I had a real run-in with one of the members of the Joint Chiefs in the Cabinet Room on that issue. Look, we have to change the culture of abuse in this country, especially in armed services."
He went on to promise that "survivors" of sexual assault in the military will be "supported" and "abusers" will be "held accountable for their crimes."
He continued, "Number one: I will order the Defense Department to take urgent and aggressive action to make sure survivors are in fact supported and abusers are held accountable for their crimes. Independently, I’d immediately appoint a commission of current and former military leaders, sexual-assault survivors and their advocates and sexual-assault experts, and give them 90 days to make concrete recommendations to me, including on prosecution decisions.”
There has been growing pressure for Biden to finally address Reade's allegations.
On Tuesday, Reade called for the release of Biden's Senate records she believes could further corroborate her claims but are currently sealed at the University of Delaware.
"I'm calling for the release of the documents being held by the University of Delaware that contain Biden's staff personnel records because I believe it will have my complaint form, as well as my separation letter and other documents," Reade told Fox News on Tuesday. "Maybe if other staffers that have tried to file complaints would come to light -- why are they under seal? And why won't they be released to the public?"
The Washington Post has now joined the call, urging Biden on Wednesday to finally address the allegations and to "release relevant records."
"Tara Reade deserves to be heard, and voters deserve to hear her. They deserve to hear from Joe Biden, too," the Washington Post editorial board wrote on Wednesday. "There are, at the moment, no clear conclusions. There may never be. But that is no excuse for not searching. One place to start is the records covering Mr. Biden’s 36-year Senate career, donated to the University of Delaware in 2012 and slated for release to the public two years after Mr. Biden 'retires from public life.'"
Major developments have also arisen in recent days since Reade came forward in March that further corroborate her 1993 claims.
A "Larry King Live" clip from 1993 was unearthed on Friday that purportedly featured Reade's mother calling in to the show anonymously and alluding to her daughter's "problems" with a "prominent senator." Reade confirmed to Fox News it was her mother's voice on the call.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
On Monday, two more people -- a former neighbor and a former colleague of Reade's -- remembered conversations they had with her back in the 1990s. One remembered her account of the alleged assault, and another remembered her mentioning harassment but not assault.
Fox News' Allie Raffa contributed to this report.
More from Politics
Fox News Politics
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.