Congressional Republicans are demanding Democrats answer for sexual assault accusations against Joe Biden, moving to neutralize Democratic attacks that charge Republicans with ignoring President Trump’s alleged misconduct.
Republicans are accusing Democratic congressional candidates of rank, “#MeToo” hypocrisy for standing by Biden amid allegations by Tara Reade that their presumptive presidential nominee sexually assaulted her in 1993, when she worked in his Senate office. The message is being delivered by the twin GOP congressional political outfits, the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee, in a barrage of email blasts and local media hits. The Trump campaign is amplifying the message.
Republican operatives behind the attacks say the strategy, though hardly innovative, is ruthlessly efficient. For three years, Democrats have put Republicans on the defensive with key voting blocs by highlighting their willingness to accommodate the multiple sexual misconduct allegations against Trump — and his other personal foibles. With Democrats choosing to stick by Biden despite the seriousness of Reade’s accusations, Republicans are convinced they have landed on an effective way to disarm these attacks.
“This is putting Democrats in a massive bind,” NRSC spokesman Jesse Hunt said Monday.
Democrats counter that their opposition to Trump is not just based on his character, but on issues such as healthcare, immigration, and taxes. Democrats are confident they can ride these differences, and the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic fallout, to more congressional pickups and a White House win in November.
“Republicans are working under the false notion that Democrats’ only line of attack here is the president’s character. This is a nonissue in a lot of these races,” a Democratic strategist said.
Republicans insist the politics are more complicated than Democrats suggest.
In 2018, as the “#MeToo” movement to recognize and validate sexual assault survivors gained steam, most prominent Democrats took the position that women who came forward with allegations should be believed even in the absence of credible, corroborating evidence. During hearings to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford accused him of sexually assaulting her when both were high school classmates decades ago.
Like Biden, Kavanaugh vigorously denied the allegations. But Senate Democrats, saying Blasey Ford deserved the benefit of the doubt, said they believed her and cited her accusation as a major reason for opposing Kavanaugh’s confirmation. The Trump campaign spotlighted this in a press release Friday when they referred to Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s vote against Kavanaugh just before the midterm elections.
“From the Senate floor, Duckworth calls on Senate to reject Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation and believe survivors,” read the senator’s press release announcing her position that fall.
In addition to helping Republicans overcome the ethical cloud that hangs over Trump, the GOP is optimistic that the Democrats’ support for Biden in the midst of serious sexual misconduct allegations could shield vulnerable Senate incumbents from Democratic attacks based on their vote to confirm Kavanaugh.
In particular, Republicans believe Sen. Susan Collins of Maine might avoid blowback for her Kavanaugh vote. Her Democratic challenger, state House Speaker Sara Gideon, is sticking with Biden. Republicans say Gideon risks charges of political gamesmanship or of having to explain her continued support for Biden if she attacks Collins for supporting the newest member of the Supreme Court.
“It draws a very clear double standard as to how Democrats treated the Kavanaugh allegations,” Republican strategist Matt Gorman said.
