On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks stated that Tara Reade’s allegations against 2020 Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden do have “some persuasive evidence” while also having some evidence against them, and urged people “to hear out these allegations, but not take them as prima facie truth.”
Brooks said, “I think we should keep an open mind. On the one hand, she made them contemporaneously. She told people at the time that this had happened, and so, that has some persuasive evidence to it. On the other hand, she said that she told three members of the Biden staff, including Ted Kaufman, his chief of staff, and they do not remember any such conversation, and they are convinced that, if they had such a conversation, it would be seared into their memory. And then I guess the second point on the Biden side is that Biden is — has many flaws. I’ve covered him for many years. Cruelty is not one of them. Dehumanization is not one of them. And so, I think, for a lot of his colleagues and a lot of people who’ve just known him, it seems uncharacteristic.”
He continued, “But that’s not to say we should close the book on it. We should see if there is this complaint. We should see if there are other victims. I guess Ms. Reade is going to speak over the weekend. And so, I think it’s important to hear out these allegations, but not take them as prima facie truth.”
Brooks later added “Well, the fact that Trump made a statement about this at all and attacked Joe Biden is like the — wins the hutzpah of the year award.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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