Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer who has accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her, was expected to testify before the House at the invitation of two prominent Republican lawmakers. But she has now fled to Russia amidst threats to her safety and has requested asylum.
Tucker Carlson interviewed Reade on his show in December 2022, where she shared details from the actual incident of Biden – then a Senator – sexually assaulting her in 1993 and the fallout from the incident; she mentioned how “they” went after her and her family, ending her dream of a career in politics.
In March 2023, Republican representatives Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene invited Tara Reade to testify before the Congress. Gaetz shared the news via a video on Twitter.
In early May, Reade posted what media called a “cryptic message” to her social media, indicating that she was being threatened and that in case anything happened to her, the Bidens were to be held responsible for it because, she said, she was not suicidal. In her Twitter post, she wrote:
“I want to make something clear. If something happens to me, all roads lead to Joe Biden. Joe Biden and DNC political machine threats, bullying, and intimidation over the last three years will not work.”
However, both Russian and international media reported on Tuesday that Reade has moved to Russia because of constant persecution in the U.S. She hopes to find safety in Russia and has requested Russian President Vladimir Putin to grant her Russian citizenship.
As Reade told Russian media, one of the cases about which she wanted to testify related to how the Biden administration weaponized the FBI and the DOB against American citizens.
But she learned from Matt Gaetz that Congress may be unable to protect her in the United States.
“It is remarkable that Joe Biden raped me when I worked for him at the US Congress, and I’m supposed to be the fugitive.”
She called her relocation to Russia a difficult decision but expressed relief that she could now feel safe.
Left-leaning media tried to use Reade’s move of seeking asylum in Russia to discredit her as a Russian political ally by stating that she had “defected” to Russia.
At the White House press briefing on Wednesday (May 31), National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked whether the White House believes Tara Reade was part of the “Russian Influence Operation.”
Kirby said he had seen no evidence but repeated the now long-debunked claim that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
It is unclear whether the Republican-led House will consider allowing Reade to testify online from Russia or provide a transcript via legal representation in the U.S.