HE’S TRYING TO PAINT A PICTURE OF WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT IS.
IT DOESN’T LINE UP WITH THE
REALITY OF WHAT HAPPENED AND
WHAT IS.
WHAT IS. >> LET’S BRING IN THE APPARENT
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR
PRESIDENT, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT
JOE BIDEN.
JOE BIDEN. MR. VICE PRESIDENT THANK YOU FOR
BEING WITH US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> WE’LL ASK YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT
HOW YOU WOULD HANDLE THIS
PANDEMIC, THE CAMPAIGN AND OTHER
NEWS OF THE DAY.
FOR THE START, IT IS JUST HE AND
ME.
ME. I WANT TO GET RIGHT TO THE
ALLEGATION MADE AGAINST YOU BY
TARA READE.
TARA READE. THE FORMER SENATE AID ACCUSES
YOU OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.
TO OUR VIEWERS, PLEASE EXCUSE
THE GRAPHIC NATURE OF THIS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO
QUESTION WHAT WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT.
ABOUT. SHE SAYS IN 1993, MR. VICE
PRESIDENT, YOU PINNED HER
AGAINST A WALL AND REACHED UNDER
HER CLOTHING AND PENETRATED HER
WITH YOUR FINGERS.
WOULD YOU GO ON THE RECORD WITH
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
DID YOU SEXUALLY ASSAULT TARA
READE?
READE? >> NO.
>> NO. IT IS NOT TRUE.
I’M SAYING UNEQUIVOCALLY IT
NEVER HAPPENED AND IT DIDN’T.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER HER?
DO YOU REMEMBER ANY TYPES OF
COMPLAINTS SHE MIGHT HAVE MADE?
>> I DON’T REMEMBER ANY TYPE OF
COMPLAINT SHE MAY HAVE MADE.
IT WAS 27 YEARS AGO.
I DON’T REMEMBER, NOR DOES
ANYONE ELSE THAT I’M AWARE OF.
THE FACT THAT THAT I DON’T
REMEMBER ANY COMPLAINT EVER BEEN
MADE.
MADE. >> HAVE YOU OR YOUR CAMPAIGN
HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO HER?
>> NO.
>> NO. I HAVE NOT REACHED OUT TO HER.
THIS IS 27 YEARS OLD.
IT NEVER HAPPENED.
WHEN SHE FIRST MADE THE CLAIM,
WE MADE IT CLEAR IT NEVER
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. THAT’S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
>> IN THE PAST 30 MINUTES OR SO,
YOU RELEASED A STATEMENT ON
MEDIUM AND MORNING OTHER THINGS
YOU WRITE THIS, THERE IS ONLY
ONE PLACE A COMPLAINT OF THIS
KIND COULD BE, THE NATIONAL
ARCHIVES.
ARCHIVES. I AM REQUESTING THAT THE
SECRETARY OF THE SENATE ASK THE
ARCHIVES TO IDENTIFY ANY RECORD
OF THE COMPLAINT SHE ALLEGES SHE
FILED.
FILED. IF THERE WAS ANY SUCH COMPLAINT,
THE RECORD WILL BE THERE.
ARE YOU PREPARING US FOR A
COMPLAINT THAT MIGHT BE REVEALED
IN SOME WAY?
ARE YOU CONFIDENT THERE IS
NOTHING?
NOTHING? >> I’M CONFIDENT THERE IS
NOTHING.
NOTHING. NO ONE EVER BROUGHT IT TO THE
ATTENTION OF ME 27 YEARS AGO.
NO ONE I’M AWARE OF IN MY
CAMPAIGN -- EXCUSE, ME, IN MY
SENATE OFFICE AT THE TIME IS
AWARE OF ANY COMPLAINT.
IF THERE IS A COMPLAINT, THAT’S
WHERE IT WOULD BE AND THAT’S
WHERE IT WOULD BE FILED.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT.
NO ONE HAS THAT I’M AWARE OF.
>> THE NEW YORK TIMES INVESTED
THIS EXHAUSTIVELY, THEY WERE
UNABLE TO FIND THAT ANY OF YOUR
STAFF WERE ABLE TO CORROBORATE
THIS.
THIS. SHE DID FILE A POLICE REPORT A
FEW WEEKS AGO WITH THE POLICE.
WHY NOT LIMIT THIS TO TARA
READE.
READE. WHY NOT RELEASE ANY COMPLAINTS
MADE AGAINST YOU DURING YOUR
SENATE CAREER?
SENATE CAREER? >> I’M PREPARED TO DO THAT.
TO MY UNDERSTANDING THERE HAS
BEEN NO COMPLAINTS MADE AGAINST
ME IN ANY SENATE CAREER.
THIS IS AN OPEN BOOK.
THERE IS NOTHING TO HIDE.
>> YOU WERE UNEQUIVOCAL IN 2018
DURING THE KAVANAUGH HEARINGS
THAT WOMEN SHOULD BE BELIEVED.
YOU SAID THIS, FOR A WOMAN TO
COME FORWARD IN THE GLARING
LIGHTS NATIONALLY, YOU’VE GOT TO
START OFF WITH THE RESUMPTION
THAT AT LEAST THE ESSENCE OF
WHAT SHE IS TALKING ABOUT IS
REAL.
REAL. WHETHER OR NOT SHE FORGETS THE
FACTS, IF IT HAS BEEN MADE WORSE
OR BETTER OVER TIME.
SHE’S GOING TO GO ON TELEVISION
ON NATIONAL TELEVISION.
TO USE YOUR WORDS, SHOULD WE NOT
START OFF WITH THE ASSUMPTION
THAT THE ESSENCE OF WHAT SHE
SAYS IS REAL.
SHE SAYS YOU SEXUALLY ASSAULTED
HER?
HER? >> I SAID FROM THE BEGINNING,
TAKING WOMEN’S CLAIMS SERIOUSLY.
VET IT.
VET IT. LOOK INTO IT.
THAT’S TRUE IN THIS CASE AS
WELL.
WELL. WOMEN HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HEARD.
THE PRESS SHOULD INVESTIGATE
CLAIMS THEY MAKE.
I UPHOLD THAT PRINCIPAL.
IN THE END, THE TRUTH IS WHAT
MATTERS.
MATTERS. IN THIS CASE, THE TRUTH IS THAT
THESE CLASS IS FALSE.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY NDAs SIGNED
BY WOMEN EMPLOYED BY YOU?
>> THERE IS NO NDA SIGNED.
I’VE NEVER ASKED ANYONE TO SIGN
AN NDA, PERIOD, IN MY CASE.
NONE.
NONE. >> YOUR SENATE DOCUMENTS AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE WERE
SUPPOSED TO GO PUBLIC AND THEN
RESEALED.
RESEALED. I KNOW YOU ARE SAYING ANY HR
COMPLAINTS WOULD BE IN THE
NATIONAL ARCHIVES.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES. WHY NOT REVEAL YOUR SENATE
DOCUMENTS HELD IN DELAWARE.
I KNOW THERE ARE 1,800 PLUS
BOXES.
BOXES. IF SHE BELIEVES AND ALLEGES THE
COMPLAINTS MAY BE IN THERE, WHY
NOT STRIVE FOR COMPLETE
TRANSPARENCY?
TRANSPARENCY? WHY WAS THE ACCESS TO THOSE
DOCUMENTS SEALED UP WHEN THEY
WERE SUPPOSED TO BE REVEALED?
>> THEY WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE
REVEALED.
REVEALED. I GAVE THEM TO THE UNIVERSITY.
THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE TIME TO
GO THROUGH THE BOXES.
IT WOULDN’T BE BEFORE 2020 OR
2021 BEFORE THAT OCCURRED.
A REPORT LIKE THIS WOULD BE AT
ONE PLACE.
ONE PLACE. IT WOULD NOT BE AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE.
MY ARCHIVES DO NOT CONTAIN
PERSONAL FILES, PERSONNEL FILES.
THEY ARE PUBLIC RECORDS.
MY SPEECHES, MY PAPERS, MY
POSITION PAPERS.
POSITION PAPERS. IF THAT DOCUMENT EXISTED, IT
WOULD BE STORED AT THE NATIONAL
ARCHIVES WHERE THE OFFICE SHE
CLAIMED TO HAVE FILED A
COMPLAINT WITH IS STORED.
THE SENATE CONTROLS THOSE.
I’M ASKING THE SECRETARY OF THE
SENATE TODAY TO IDENTIFY IF ANY
SUCH DOCUMENT EXISTS.
IF IT DOES, MAKE IT PUBLIC.
>> THERE ARE CLAIMS AND CONCERNS
AND REPORT INSIDER AND SHE
CLAIMS A COMPLAINT OR SOME SORT
OF RECORD MIGHT BE AT THE
UNIVERSE ATE
UNIVERSE ATE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE.
SO FOR COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY,
WHY NOT PUSH FOR THE RELEASE OF
ANYTHING WITH TARA READE’S NAME
ON IT?
ON IT? >> LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT,
THERE ARE NO PERSONNEL
DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS. YOU CAN’T DO THAT.
IF YOU WORKED FOR ME OR I WORKED
WITH YOU AND YOU HAD MY INCOME
TAX RETURNS OR WHATEVER, THEY
ARE PRIVATE DOCUMENTS.
THEY DON’T GET PUT OUT IN THE
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE PUBLIC
RECORD THAT IN FACT, THAT ANY
SENATOR, VICE PRESIDENT OR
PRESIDENT HAS IN THEIR
DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS. LOOK, THERE IS ONE PLACE SHE
COULD FILE THE COMPLAINT.
THAT OFFICE AT THE TIME, ALL
THOSE RECORDS FROM THAT OFFICE
ARE IN THE ARCHIVES AND
CONTROLLED BY THE SENATE.
THAT’S WHERE PERSONNEL RECORDS
WOULD BE IF THEY EXIST.
THAT’S WHERE COMPLAINTS WOULD BE
IF THEY EXIST.
>> YOU HAVE SAID IN THE PAST IF
A WOMAN COULD GOES UNDER THE
LIGHTS AND TALKS ABOUT SOMETHING
LIKE THIS, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER
THAT THE ESSENCE OF THIS IS
REAL.
REAL. IS THE ESSENCE OF THIS REAL?
WHY DO YOU THINK SHE’S DOING
THIS?
THIS? >> I’M NOT GOING TO QUESTION HER
MOTIVE OR GET INTO THAT AT ALL.
I DON’T KNOW WHY THESE SHE’S
SAYING THIS.
SAYING THIS. I DON’T KNOW WHY AFTER 27 YEARS
THIS GETS RAISED.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT.
I’M NOT GOING TO GO IN AND
QUESTION HER OR ATTACK HER.
SHE HAS A RIGHT TO SAY WHATEVER
SHE SAYS.
SHE SAYS. I HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY, LOOK AT
THE FACTS, CHECK IT OUT.
BASED ON THE INVESTIGATIONS THAT
HAVE TAKEN PLACE SO FAR BY THE
BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE BY TWO
MAJOR PAPERS THAT INTERVIEWED
DOZENS OF MY STAFF MEMBERS,
SENIOR STAFF, THAT’S WHAT THEY
SAID.
SAID. NOBODY, THIS WAS NOT THE
ATMOSPHERE IN MY OFFICE AT ALL.
NO ONE HAS SAID ANYTHING LIKE
THIS.
THIS. >> MR. VICE PRESIDENT, AS IT
PERTAINED TO DR. FORD.
HIGH LEVEL DEMOCRATS SAID SHE
SHOULD BE BELIEVED.
YOU SAID IF SOMEONE LIKE DR.
FORD WOULD COME OUT, THE ESSENCE
OF WHAT SHE SAID HAS TO BE
BELIEVED AND BE REAL.
WHY?
WHY? WHY IS IT REAL FOR DR. FORD BUT
NOT FOR TARA READE?
>> LOOK -- I’M NOT SUGGESTING
SHE HAD NO RIGHT TO COME FOERT.
ANY WOMAN SHOULD COME FORWARD
AND BE HEARD AND THEN IT SHOULD
BE INVEST GATED.
IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT IS
CONSISTENT WITH WHAT IS BEING
SAID AND SHE MAKES THE CASE OR
THE CASE IS MADE, THEN IT SHOULD
BE BELIEVED.
BE BELIEVED. ULTIMATELY, THE TRUTH MATTERS.
PERIOD.
PERIOD. I FOUGHT MY ENTIRE LIFE TO
CHANGE THE WHOLE NOTION TO
CHANGE THE LAW AND NOTION AROUND
SEXUAL ASSAULT.
SEXUAL ASSAULT. I FOUGHT THE PROTECTIVE PROCESS
FOR SURVIVORS.
FOR SURVIVORS. WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY AND HAVE
A LONG WAY TO GO UNTIL WE ARE IN
THE POSITION OF A FAIR AND
UNBIASED VIEW.
UNBIASED VIEW. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT HAS TO
BE LOOKED AT.
THESE CLAIMS ARE NOT TRUE.
THEY ARE NOT TRUE.
>> MR. VICE PRESIDENT --
>> I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN
SAY TO YOU.
>> I’M GOING TO TRY TO ASK MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS.
DIFFERENT WAYS. STACEY ABRAMS SAID DURING THE
KAVANAUGH WOMEN, I BELIEVE
WOMEN, I BELIEVE ASSAULT VOICES
SHOULD BE HEARD.
ANOTHER SAID, DO WE BELIEVE
WOMEN?
WOMEN? WE MUST BE A COUNTRY THAT SAYS
YES EVERY TIME.
THEY NOW SUPPORT YOU.
NANCY PELOSI FALLS INTO THIS
CATEGORY TOO AND OTHER LEADERS.
ARE WOMEN TO BE BELIEVED UNLESS
IT PERTAINS TO YOU?
>> LOOK, WOMEN ARE TO BE
BELIEVED GIVEN THE BENEFIT OF
THE DOUBT.
THE DOUBT. IF THEY COME FORWARD AND SAY
SOMETHING THAT THEY SAID
HAPPENED TO THEM, THEY SHOULD
START OFF WITH THE PRESUMPTION
THAT THEY ARE TELLING THE TRUTH,
THEN YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE
CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE FACTS.
THE FACTS IN THIS CASE NEVER
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. THERE ARE SO MANY
INCONSISTENCIES IN THIS CASE.
LOOK AT THE FACT.
I CAN ASSURE YOU IT DID NOT
HAPPEN, PERIOD, PERIOD.
>> WHY IS IT DIFFERENT NOW?
DO YOU REGRET WHAT YOU SAID
DURING THE KAVANAUGH HEARINGS?
>> WHAT I SAID THEN WAS THAT SHE
HAD A RIGHT TO BE HEARD.
THE FACT THAT SHE CAME FOERKSD
THE PRESUMPTION WOULD BE THAT
SHE WAS TELLING THE TRUTH.
UNLESS IT IS CLEAR FROM THE
FACTS AROUND IT, IT IS NOT THE
TRUTH.
TRUTH. I’M SORRY.
I’M SORRY. >> GO AHEAD.
AS WE AWAIT THE RECORDS FROM THE
NATIONAL ARCHIVES, ARE YOU
ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN, ARE YOU
ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE THERE IS NO
RECORD OF ANY COMPLAINT BY TARA
READE AGAINST YOU?
>> I AM ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE THAT
NO ONE I AM AWARE OF WAS EVER
MADE AWARE OF A COMPLAINT,
FORMAL COMPLAINT MADE OF OR BY
TARA READE AGAINST ME AT THE
TIME THIS HAPPENED 27 YEARS AGO
OR UNTIL I ANNOUNCED -- I GUESS
IT WAS IN APRIL OR MAY THIS
YEAR.
YEAR. I KNOW OF NO ONE WHO IS AWARE OF
ANY COMPLAINT THAT WAS MADE.
>> THE FIRST ABOUT THE
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE RECORDS,
DO YOU AGREE THAT THOSE RECORDS
WERE SUPPOSED TO BE OPENED TO
THE PUBLIC AND THEN RESEALED FOR
A LONG TIME UNTIL, QUOTE, AFTER
YOU LEAVE PUBLIC LIFE.
WHY DID THAT HAPPEN?
>> THE FACT IS, THERE ARE A LOT
OF SPEECHES I’VE MADE, POSITIONS
I’VE TAKEN, INTERVIEWS OVERSEAS,
ALL OF THOSE THINGS RELATED TO
MY JOB.
MY JOB. THE IDEA THAT THEY WOULD BE MADE
PUBLIC WHILE I WAS RUNNING FOR
PUBLIC OFFICE, THEY COULD BE
TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT.
THE PAPERS ARE POSITION PAPERS.
DOCUMENTS FOR EXAMPLE WHEN I MET
WITH PUTIN OR WHOM.EVER.
ALL OF THAT TO BE FODER IN A
CAMPAIGN AT THIS TIME.
THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES WOULD HAVE
ANYTHING TO DO WITH PERSONNEL
RECORDS.
RECORDS. THERE ARE NO PERSONNEL RECORDS
IN THE BIDEN PAPERS AT THE
UNIVERSITY.
UNIVERSITY. >> ARE YOU CERTAIN THERE WAS
NOTHING ABOUT TARA READE IN
THOSE RECORDS --
>> I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN.
>> IF SO, WHY NOT APPROVE A
SEARCH OF HER NAME IN THOSE
RECORDS?
RECORDS? >> A SEARCH OF HER NAME?
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. APPROVE A SEARCH OF HER NAME IN
THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
RECORDS.
RECORDS. >> THERE IS NOTHING.
THEY ARE NOT THERE.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE POINT YOU
ARE TRYING TO MAKE.
THERE ARE NO PERSONNEL RECORDS
BY DEFINITION.
BY DEFINITION. >> THE POINT I’M TRYING TO MAKE
IS, YOU ARE APPROVING AND
CALLING FOR A SEARCH FOR THE
NATIONAL ARCHIVE RECORDS.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> OF ANYTHING PERTAINING TO
TARA READE.
TARA READE. I’M ASKING WHY NOT DO THE SAME
IN THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
RECORDS WHICH HAVE RAISED
QUESTIONS BECAUSE THEY WERE
SUPPOSED TO BE REVEALED TO THE
PUBLIC AND THEN SEALED FOR A
LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
WHY NOT DO IT FOR BOTH SETS OF
RECORDS?
RECORDS? >> BECAUSE THE MATERIAL IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF DELLAWARE HAS NO
PERSONNEL FILES BUT IT DOES HAVE
PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS I HAD
WITH THE PRESIDENT ABOUT A
PARTICULAR ISSUE, HEADS OF
STATES OF OTHER PLACES.
THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT
WOULD NOT BE REVEALED WHILE I
WAS SPEAKING PUBLIC OFFICE.
TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, NO
ONE ELSE HAS DONE THAT EITHER.
>> I’M JUST TALKING HER NAME,
NOT ANYBODY ELSE IN THOSE
RECORDS A SEARCH FOR THAT.
NOTHING CLASSIFIED ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT OR ANYBODY ELSE.
I’M ASKING WHY NOT DO A SEARCH
FOR TARA READE’S NAME IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE RECORDS?
>> LOOK, WHO DOES THAT SEARCH?
>> THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE?
PERHAPS YOU SET UP A COMMISSION
THAT CAN DO IT?
I DON’T KNOW.
WHATEVER IS THE FAIREST WAY TO
CREATE THE MOST TRANSPARENCY.
>> LOOK, MIKA, SHE SAID SHE
FILED A REPORT.
SHE HAS HER EMPLOYMENT RECORDS
STILL.
STILL. SHE SAID SHE FILED A REPORT WITH
THE ONLY OFFICE THAT WOULD HAVE
A REPORT IN THE UNITED STATES
SENATE AT THE TIME.
IF A REPORT WAS EVER FILED, IT
WAS FILED THERE, PERIOD.
>> IF YOU COULD SPEAK DIRECTLY
TO TARA READE ABOUT HER CLAIMS
OR ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
>> THIS NEVER EVER HAPPENED.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS MOTIVATING
HER.
HER. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS BEHIND ANY
OF IT BUT IT IS IRRELEVANT.
IT NEVER HAPPENED.
IT NEVER HAPPENED, PERIOD.
I’M NOT GOING TO START
QUESTIONING HER MOTIVE.
I’M NOT GOING TO GET INTO THAT.
I’M NOT GOING TO GO AFTER TARA
READE FOR SAYING THESE THINGS.
IT IS THE FACTS?
DO ANY OF THE THINGS SHE SAID,
DO THEY ADD UP?
IT NEVER HAPPENED.
>> MR. VICE PRESIDENT, STAY WITH
US.
US. WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A ONE-MINUTE
BREAK AND THEN JOE AND WILLIE
WILL JOIN WITH QUESTIONS ON
OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY.