As Twitchy reported last week, the word seemed to have gone out to the media that Democrats were “grappling” with sexual assault allegations leveled against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Politico, CNN, The Intercept, and Mother Jones all made room for the word “grapple” in their headlines as the accusations gained steam when an old episode of “Larry King Live” surfaced featuring Reade’s mother calling in about a prominent senator. (Of course, there were still the requisite “Trump allies pounce” takes as well.)
Now Bloomberg’s Jennifer Epstein has Democrats grappling with the accusations, even armed with talking points sent directly by the campaign.
The Biden campaign sent another set of talking points on Tara Reade to surrogates this week as new details emerged and Dems grapple with how to handle the accusations. Campaign says Larry King video “does not corroborate” assault claim. https://t.co/OUlushSozo pic.twitter.com/JprSwYgFFJ
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) April 29, 2020
More grappling. https://t.co/oA0MWkTRMM
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) April 29, 2020
— China is lying (@jtLOL) April 29, 2020
Dems grapple and Republicans pounce. Style makes fights. Should be an interesting matchup
— Kyle Addison (@949_Kyle) April 29, 2020
Still grappling. https://t.co/dDVyGgZgdb
— Marty (@ThatMartyGuy1) April 29, 2020
You know who else was grappled?
— Patrick (@patrickishmael) April 29, 2020
Dems Grapple!!
Joe Biden raped a woman, and Dems are sending each other talking points
These are very sick people https://t.co/NkhrPQpnIm
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) April 29, 2020
“Talking points” sent to cover for a sexual assault allegation.
Moral bankruptcy https://t.co/NEhMQv7GWz
— paige sully (@PaigeSully88) April 29, 2020
2 points from Biden’s new set of talking points on Tara Reade:
1) He continues to use the NYT investigation to defend himself— which the NYT pointedly refuted
2) He still refuses to address it himself, while asking surrogates (eager Veep candidates) to call his accuser a liar https://t.co/cdjLBzsgwF
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) April 29, 2020
Tara Reade's mother in 1993 on national television does is not corroboration but Blasey Ford's friend who said a party never happened or Michael Avenatti on CNN is. https://t.co/oA0MWkTRMM
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) April 29, 2020
There should be 10,000 questions that start exactly like this:
“During the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, which were only last year, you said….”
— @PresidentShemp (@presidentshemp) April 29, 2020
The time that's been given to Biden to ignore this and the soft language constantly being used should already be a strong black mark against media.
— Rani (@Raniraniyap) April 29, 2020
Uh. It literally corroborates the assault claim. https://t.co/FkmZFbMCBo
— RBe (@RBPundit) April 29, 2020
“Every major, reputable news outlet” has “rigorously investigate[d] those claims” and was “unable to corroborate Ms. Reade’s” sexual assault allegations.
Mark me in the ‘skeptical’ category on that one. https://t.co/OFQER57zI6
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) April 29, 2020
These talking points do not address Reade’s neighbor’s on the record account that Reade told her the exact claim she is making now back in 1995. Honestly, that’s a very persuasive piece of evidence, although I don’t think it gets me to a preponderance standing alone. https://t.co/7xavLo7cwI
— Alexandra R. (@Alexa_MRo) April 29, 2020
Politicians using these talking points is like a group of students giving the same wrong answer to a teacher because they all copied from the "smart kid" without expecting that kid would be wrong or there would be a follow up question. #PoisonPicked #JoeBiden2020 https://t.co/NZlVH8rpvB
— Anthony Sanchez (@Its_Nuanced) April 29, 2020
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a possible VP pick, seemed to stick to the talking points when speaking with NPR:
As this article points out, Klobuchar's response in an NPR interview basically rehashes the talking points the Biden campaign circulated. https://t.co/e5brv4IBjJ pic.twitter.com/Sn3wJyYxe5
— BT (@back_ttys) April 29, 2020
I especially like how the standard NOW for these types of allegations is a "thorough review by the NY Times", not an official investigation. https://t.co/SIuri7DCya
— BT (@back_ttys) April 29, 2020
Read the talking points then listen to Stacy Abrams' response at around the 2:20 mark of this video. https://t.co/5PJxtSUsW1
— BT (@back_ttys) April 29, 2020
Credit to Lemon for asking her about double standards. She's pretending a NY Times story is the same as the official investigation she called for when Kavanaugh was accused.
— BT (@back_ttys) April 29, 2020
That VP spot ain’t gonna fill itself
— Capitalist Countries Are Cleaner Jack (@jackbrazen) April 29, 2020
The hypocrisy is incredible.
Not surprising. Predictable. But still incredible.
You should be embarrassed @amyklobuchar.
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) April 29, 2020
It seems to me the point being ignored here is Klobuchar, Biden Campaign, Abrams etc.. are all seemingly calling Tara Reade a liar. It seems like the natural follow up question to "I don't believe this happened." and we know they aren't going there with that. https://t.co/CeSJ7NqRSi
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) April 29, 2020
Funny how all the women with an eye on the VP slot don’t “believe women” anymore.
Related:
Stacey Abrams BUSTED repeating 'FALSE talking points verbatim' on CNN https://t.co/sbJwz8hTPa
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 29, 2020
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