Joe Biden on Thursday again addressed allegations of
Sexual Assault from former staffer Tara Reade, saying that voters should not choose him in the November
elections if they believe Reade's claims.Voters "should vote their heart and if they believe Tara Reade, they probably shouldn't vote for me," Biden said on MSNBC's The Last Word. "I wouldn't vote for me if I believed Tara Reade."When host Lawrence O'Donnell asked whether the former vice president has any recollection of Reade, Biden responded "to be honest with you, I don't.""Look at Tara Reade’s story,” Biden went on. "It changes considerably. But I don’t want to question her motive. I don’t want to question anything other than to say the truth matters."Reade alleges that Biden sexually assaulted her in spring 1993, while working as a staffer for the then-senator from Delaware. While accounts from
Friends and former neighbors as well as a court document from 1996 confirm that Reade had discussed an alleged incident that occurred in Biden's offices, no evidence has been found that would conclusively prove Biden guilty. Biden has categorically denied Reade's claims, pointing out that her story has changed over time.Biden has received support from numerous
Democratic politicians, including presumptive choices to be his running-mate in the November elections. Senators Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) have both backed Biden. The former vice president has also received endorsements from
Hillary Clinton and House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.).