Tara Reade to Joe Biden: 'You should not be running on character'

Tara Reade spoke out in an interview with Megyn Kelly this week about her allegation that former Vice President Joe Biden sexually assaulted her, calling for him to withdraw from the 2020 race.

Reade, who alleges Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993 when she worked for him in the Senate, spoke with Kelly for an interview, the first clip of which was released Thursday afternoon. In it, Reade delivers a message to Biden personally.

"You and I were there, Joe Biden," she said. "Please step forward and be held accountable. You should not be running on character for the president of the United States."

Asked if she wants Biden to drop out of the race, Reade said, "I wish he would, but he won't."

Reade also said it's been "stunning" to see some Biden surrogates say "really horrible things" about her and that she has not felt safe since coming forward with her allegation.

"His campaign is taking this position that they want all women to be able to speak safely," she said. "I have not experienced that."

Biden broke his silence about Reade's allegation last week, denying it in a statement and interview on MSNBC. "I'm saying unequivocally, it never, never happened," Biden said. "And it didn't. It never happened."

MK EXCLUSIVE: #TaraReade responds to #JoeBiden; calls for him to drop out pic.twitter.com/jxHAUYaWVU

— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 7, 2020