Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president may be on shaky ground as a 1993 clip from the Larry King Live show has been unearthed by Intercept, seemingly corroborating an allegation of serious sexual assault. As of late in the day on April 25, this episode of King's show was no longer listed in the Google Play catalog, suggesting a concerted attempt to whitewash the accusation against Biden.
The episode was titled "Washington: The Cruelest City on Earth?" and delved into abuses of power in the nation's capital, featuring a panel of elected officials and prominent journalists. The audio bit features a call-in from San Luis Obispo, CA, where Biden accuser Tara Reade's mother, Jeanette Altimus, lived at the time – and this appears to be the segment Reade has referenced of late.
Reade, a staffer in 1993 to then-Senator Biden, went public in March 2020 with accusations of sexual assault and filed formal charges with District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department on April 9. Reade had told reporters that her mother was so distraught after hearing her account of the alleged assault that she called into the program to ask what staffers should do when faced with powerful, abusive employers:
"I'm wondering what a staffer would do besides go to the press in Washington? My daughter has just left there, after working for a prominent senator, and could not get through with her problems at all, and the only thing she could have done was go to the press, and she chose not to do it out of respect for him."
Crickets from the panel on what to do but they did discuss leaking the news to the press for purposes of wounding a political rival.
Make A Note of This
Reade explained to the media that she had told her mother and brother what happened soon after being fired and having faced retaliation. She also said to check the Larry King archives for proof that her mother – now deceased – had placed the call in 1993.
The Intercept dug up the clip, and Reade verified the voice of her mother. But here's the rub: Larry King Live aired on CNN. They couldn't be bothered to ferret out the broadcast with the push of a button. And no one is surprised about that.
New Details Emerge
Reade also appeared on the Katie Halper Show podcast on March 25, further detailing the alleged and, if true, nauseating actions of the former vice president:
"He just had me up against the wall, and the wall was cold. His hands were on me and underneath my clothes. He went down my skirt and then up inside it and he penetrated me with his fingers. He was kissing me at the same time."
Perhaps even more stomach-churning are the words she said Biden uttered when she pulled away from him. "Come on, man, I heard you liked me," followed by, "You're nothing to me, nothing."
Will Biden Weather the Storm?
The video clip is damaging – and the lack of transparency from CNN telling. But at this late date in an election year, can the Democrats successfully extricate the presumptive nominee from becoming the nominee? Or have they dug the trench too deep to consider giving up and replacing this candidate, who has many challenges, it appears, and many skeletons, but who was chosen by Democrat voters? And frankly, with the statute of limitations long since passed, what does Ms. Reade hope to accomplish by laying bare a traumatic incident that will have no legal repercussions? Reade has already answered that question: "there is justice in just being heard in a dignified way."
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