Thread by @TaraReadeTruth

There continues to be a lot of confusion around @AOC and @ReadeAlexandra. This is a nuanced and difficult subject, so we’re going to look at it more deeply.
On Tara Reade and AOC, a thread:
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April 14th, 2020:
AOC was the first person from congress to speak publicly about Tara Reade's allegations against Joe Biden.
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thehill.com/homenews/house…

That same day, Tara Reade thanked AOC for being the first member of congress to speak out.
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https://twitter.com/ReadeAlexandra/status/1250242807412871169?s=20

May 7th, 2020:
AOC is interviewed by @NPRinskeep on an episode of @NPR's @MorningEdition. This is where things get complicated. Note the headline: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Says Biden Sexual Assault Allegation 'Not Clear-Cut'
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npr.org/2020/05/07/851…

Despite the headline "Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Says Biden Sexual Assault Allegation 'Not Clear-Cut,'" there is no record of her saying that in either the clip NPR posted or their transcripts of the interview (available here: npr.org/transcripts/85…)
Listen to the clip below:
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Although NPR's headline and article quote AOC as saying, "Frankly, this is a messy moment, and I think we need to acknowledge that - that it is not clear cut," this quote is completely absent from NPR's recording. npr.org/2020/05/07/851…
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.@NPR is far from the only news outlet who latched onto this quote from @AOC for their headline. @thehill, @Salon, and the @nypost all posted similar headlines.
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As well as @VICENews, @FoxNews, and the @DailyCaller
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When @AOC said that Tara Reade “wanted to be heard,” this was in line with Tara’s own comments at the time. In her 3/26/20 interview on Rising, Tara Reade said, “the only possible justice for me is simply to have the silence lifted and to have this stop being a secret.”
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May 8th, 2020:
Just one day after @AOC's comments on @NPR, Tara Reade was interviewed by @megynkelly. In her interview, Tara stated that she did not "just want to be heard," as AOC put it, but that she wanted Biden to withdraw. Full interview: thefederalist.com/2020/05/09/ful…
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AOC has not publicly mentioned Tara Reade since May 7th, 2020. Based on what we CAN see from the NPR interview, it's difficult to determine what AOC meant by it. For example, @NPR wrote that @AOC's "messy moment" comment was something "she said later." How much later?
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It seems that @AOC's comment refers to either the political moment of the time OR Tara Reade's allegations. The first outcome has better implications, but without hearing the interview or seeing the actual transcripts in context, it is nearly impossible to determine.
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We've reached out to obtain a full transcript of @AOC's interview from @NPR to no avail. It is frustrating and worrisome considering how much discord this has wrought between AOC and Tara Reade, as well as their supporters.
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Fast forward to February 1st, 2021:
While detailing her experience on January 6th during an instagram live appearance, @AOC came forward as a sexual assault survivor.
nytimes.com/2021/02/01/nyr…

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Shortly after, @ReadeAlexandra offered her support for @AOC and thanked her for coming forward.
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https://twitter.com/ReadeAlexandra/status/1356472236538884098?s=20

February 2nd, 2021:
Tara Reade publishes an op-ed for @RT_com:
"I believe AOC when she says she is a survivor of sexual assault. Why could she not say the same about me?"

rt.com/op-ed/514415-t…
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That same day, Tara Reade tweeted in solidarity and support of AOC again. The parallels in how both women were treated when coming forward are undeniable. Both women were subjected to abusive hashtags calling them liars.
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https://twitter.com/ReadeAlexandra/status/1356506139920277504?s=20

Tara Reade also tweeted at @AOC other times between May and February. Here is an example from August, in which @ReadeAlexandra asks AOC to "please lift my voice and do not let what happened to me as a Senate aide be silenced and ignored."
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https://twitter.com/ReadeAlexandra/status/1290320362920501248?s=20

Part of what makes this subject so volatile is a combination of the lack of nuance on twitter with the many people on the left and right operating in bad faith.

We unequivocally support AOC & Tara Reade as survivors of sexual violence. We believe them both.
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AOC is uniquely vilified by bad faith actors on the left and the right. Tara Reade can relate, having experienced the same treatment herself. It is unfortunate for all involved that AOC has not reached out to Tara, given the similarities in how they have been mistreated.
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February 28th, 2021:
AOC tweets demanding an investigation of Andrew Cuomo in light of the allegations of sexual harassment from Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett.
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https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1366042045861793794?s=20

Tara Reade responded to @AOC’s tweet demanding an investigation of Cuomo, saying that AOC’s silence felt hypocritical and broke her heart.
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https://twitter.com/ReadeAlexandra/status/1366077244242685952?s=20

Did @ReadeAlexandra mean that @AOC has ALWAYS been silent about her allegations? No, of course not! But AOC has not mentioned Tara Reade since her confusing interview aired on @NPR in May.
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We return once again to the @NPR quote and transcripts. Why is the “clear cut” comment missing? Was it removed by @NPRinskeep? Did @AOC ask for it to be removed?
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npr.org/transcripts/85…

It would certainly help this situation if @AOC made a statement clarifying what she meant when she said the words “clear cut" in May. It would also help if @NPR explained why that quote is absent from the recording and transcript of the interview.
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In May, @AOC said "look at the aims the survivor is asking for." This is a great suggestion! AOC neglected to demand an investigation of Biden, in spite of Tara Reade stating that she wanted him to withdraw in her interview w/@megynkelly the next day.

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In summation, Tara Reade’s feelings of heartbreak and frustration are valid. AOC and all other democrats could and should have done more to speak out in support of Tara Reade.

Calling a survivor of sexual violence a liar is wrong no matter who the survivor is.
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