Democrats have reacted swiftly to comments made by Minnesota Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, for saying that she believes Tara Reade’s sexual assault claims against the presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden.
In a tweet defending her support for Reade, Omar, said that “believing survivors is consistent with my values”.
These tweets were in response to rife criticism following an exclusive all-access interview she granted to Sunday Times.
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Believing survivors is consistent with my values. Yes, I endorsed against Biden and I didn’t pick him as our nominee. With that said, in this interview I did on May 6th, we talked about that and quotes aren’t always in context. I will vote for him and help him defeat Trump.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 25, 2020
Speaking to the English Publication, Omar said she believes Ms. Reade who has since filed an official complaint alleging Mr. Biden put her up against a wall and penetrated her with his fingers while she was a senate staffer in the early 1990s.
While Omar suggested that her “quotes aren’t always in context,” The Sunday Times Washington bureau chief, Josh Glancy told The Independent there was nothing in her quotes that had been taken remotely out of context.
The woman you believe is actively and with malice aforethought sending her supporters after survivors of rape and sexual violence on Twitter. To threaten us, harass us, call us rape apologists, and tell us we deserve to be killed. Is that “consistent with your values”?
— erin_writes (@wombat_writes) May 25, 2020
Glancy further asked the public to be the judge of Omar’s full response.
“There’s a lot of unsavory stuff. It is troubling, I do believe it’s important for us to give space for women to come forward and share their stories. It takes years and years for sexual assault survivors to come forward. Justice can be delayed but it should never be denied”.
Despite all the media fuss, Ms. Omar confirmed her support for Biden saying, “This is the most important election of our time,” stating further that the Democratic Party has to mobilize to defeat Donald Trump.
“If considerations over the candidate were something I had influence over, just candidly here, we’d probably have a different candidate,” she tweeted.
Earlier, the Nations columnist Katha Pollitt received heavy criticism for saying she would vote for Biden even if he boiled babies and ate them.
“He wasn’t my candidate, but taking back the White House is that important,” she wrote.
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Ms Omar, your comments yesterday was to much, i have had enough of your comments.
It should have been enough when you called My President a murderer with a pretty face, but i kept quiet because of unity.
this time you have put yourself before the country, ENOUGH.
Leave the party.— Biden_Brigade (@biden_brigade) May 25, 2020
Believing without investigating the facts is foolish and damaging to the progress we made with #MeToo. This was an obvious political hit job with holes in #TaraReade‘s ever-changing story so big you could drive a truck through them. Shame on you.
— JaneDoeMD (@Caerage) May 25, 2020
If you are declaring Tara Reade a “survivor” who must be believed, you are by necessity declaring Biden a rapist. There is zero reliable evidence corroborating that Biden raped Tara Reade, and in fact all signs point to the allegation having been fabricated.
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) May 26, 2020
I think you need to issue a retraction. Please don’t blame context - you have a history of ill advised public comments.
— Lisa Glass (@LMplusG) May 25, 2020
It is a shame you won’t take the truth into account. Anyone can say their a victim. Does not mean they are. Especially when it’s proven they are a pathological liar. Very shortsighted.
— we need to bring america back (@DHK0120) May 25, 2020
