Tara Reade defects to Russia

Tara Reade, the former Senate aide who once worked in then-Senator Joe Biden’s office, has now flown to Russia. She has applied (or will apply) for Russian citizenship in the belief that her life is in danger in America.

Tara Reade holds press conference

Tara Reade, 59, held a nine-and-a-half hour press conference in Moscow with the Sputnik Media Group.

She appeared with Maria Butina, a member of the Duma.

Reportage, from The Guardian, CNN, The New York Times, and especially CBS, appears decidedly less than sympathetic. Indeed, Contributor Chris Cirino repeatedly lampooned the Times’ executive editorial staff for refusing any reportage of Tara Reade. Three of the outlets made much of her association with Butina, whom they described as “a convicted Russian spy.” Butina served time in the U.S., then returned to Russia and won election to the Duma.

CBS News quoted her as saying a Republican lawmaker – whom they didn’t name – told Reade she was in physical danger. No other outlet reported any such quote. But she did say she felt safe “for the first time in a very long time” after arriving in Moscow.

Tara Reade did receive invitations from Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to testify before Congress. But on May 7, she left this ominous-sounding tweet:

Reps. Greene and Gaetz apparently wanted her to share, again, her story that then-Senator Biden, in 1993, touched her inappropriately while she worked in his office. She first broached that story in 2019 and again in 2020 during the campaign. The reporting outlets make much of the lack of corroboration of her story, and Biden’s denial of it. But they do not acknowledge that they themselves have lent credence to sex-assault stories with thinner support.

On settling in Russia

Tara Reade said her decision to settle in Russia was difficult. She would prefer to live in America and Russia, but is prepared to live only in Russia, where she feels safe. Reade also made the point that “most American citizens” do not support any war with Russia.

Ms. Butina confirmed that Tara Reade seeks Russian citizenship and promised to ask Vladimir Putin himself to intercede. Russian citizenship is available to non-Russians, but usually at a price.

Reade also hinted that a significant number of Americans “are coming to Russia.” This could, but is not necessarily, a reference to the 200 American and Canadian families who have pre-paid for the construction of a village for American and Canadian expatriates on the outskirts of Moscow. VISTA Immigration, who arranged the project, estimates that about 10,000 non-Russians want to move into Russia to stay. That aside, those 200 families might have different reasons for moving from those Tara Reade has.

Tara Reade drew several pointedly unsympathetic tweets in reply to her press conference. But one person equally pointedly questioned their authenticity.

Reade left copious links to various accounts and versions of the press conference on her Substack page.

About the image and headline

“Tara Reade on Jenerational Change” by Jenerational Change is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 .

Our use of the verb to defect in the headline is shorthand only. We attach no shame to anyone who feels, with clear and convincing evidence, that the country of her birth can or will no longer guarantee her physical safety. Tara Reade has since protested the use of the verb to defect by legacy media organs like Fox News. Indeed no media organ has used that verb in any of its forms since the Fall of the Berlin Wall (9 November 1989).