U.S former VP Joe Biden denies sexual assault allegation

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Friday emphatically denied a decades-old accusation of sexual assault leveled by a former staffer in his Senate office, breaking more than a month of silence on the allegation.

“No. It is not true. I’m saying unequivocally it never, never happened and it didn’t,” Biden told “Morning Joe” host Mika Brzezinski of the accusations made by former staffer Tara Reade.

“Look, from the very beginning, I’ve said believing women means taking women’s claims seriously when she steps forward and then vet it. Look into it. That’s true in this case as well,” he said Friday, adding that he believes women should be heard but also that the press should “rigorously” investigate the accusations being made.

“I’ll always uphold that principle. But in the end, in every case, the truth is what matters. In this case, the truth is that the claims are false,” he argued.