Friday, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) reacted to 2020 Democratic presidential nominee frontrunner former Vice President Joe Biden strongly denying former Senate staff aid Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegations.
Swalwell on Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom” would not take a side in the situation, but said Reade has the “right to be heard” and Biden has the “right to defend himself.”
Host Ed Henry asked, “Do you believe Joe Biden?”
“I believe that he has a right to defend himself, but I also believe that the accuser has a right to make her claims,” Swalwell replied. “The vice president calling for an investigation into any records that may exist is the right thing to do.”
He added, “[Reade] has a right to be heard. and I’m not going to question her motives. And you know … the vice president didn’t either. He didn’t say she was a liar, he didn’t say he was going to sue her, he didn’t say that she’s not his type. And remember, those are all things the president said about the 25 people who … have accused him.”
Henry pressed Swalwell about shifting standard now with Biden from when in 2018 he said to believe women amid the now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh hearings.
“We should believe, you know, this woman and then we should also look to other facts that may exist,” Swalwell stated. “Of course, the vice president has a story to tell as well and other people around the incident, people who worked in the office at the time should be interviewed. And I’m going to leave it to that. Again, I’m not going to question the motives.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
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