Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) got testy Thursday morning with a reporter who asked her why Democrats are treating the sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden differently than they treated the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.
"I respect your question, and I don't need a lecture or a speech," Pelosi said to the Washington Examiner's Kerry Picket during a press conference. "I have complete respect for the whole MeToo movement—I have four daughters and one son. There is a lot of excitement around the idea that women will be heard and be listened to. There is also due process, and the fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden."
The speaker stressed that she was "proud" to endorse Biden for president and said the former vice president "is a person of great integrity" and a longstanding advocate of women.
Pelosi's comments come after more than a month of silence by the presumptive Democratic nominee while prominent media outlets have hesitated to ask him about sexual assault allegations brought forward by Tara Reade, a former Biden Senate staffer.
Pelosi's comments stand in stark contrast with the speaker's statements in 2018 during the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. At the time, she praised Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, and urged people to "Believe Survivors."
"We must #BelieveSurvivors. I’m proud to stand with my Democratic colleagues in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford," the speaker said in a tweet.
We must #BelieveSurvivors. I’m proud to stand with my Democratic colleagues in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. pic.twitter.com/brXUZev23i
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) September 26, 2018
While the Biden campaign has argued the candidate was exonerated by press investigations, the New York Times said its reporting reached no conclusions about Reade's accusation.
"Our investigation made no conclusion either way," Times vice president of communications Danielle Rhoades Ha told the Washington Free Beacon.
Biden campaign surrogates continued using the Times report to claim Biden was exonerated, however, even as Biden himself has avoided answering any questions about the accusation directly. On Thursday Pelosi joined other Democrats in praising Biden's response to the allegation, even though Biden has not addressed it himself.
"I think it's made a great contribution to our country, and I do support Joe Biden. I'm satisfied with how he has responded," Pelosi told CNN.