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| Anita Hill says she wants 'real accountability' from Joe Biden | Anita Hill says she wants 'real accountability' from Joe Biden |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Top White House candidate Joe Biden has denied treating a woman badly when she accused a Supreme Court nominee of harassment before Congress in 1991. | |
| Anita Hill had testified against Clarence Thomas to a committee chaired by Mr Biden. His handling of her evidence has long been criticised. | |
| Speaking on ABC's the View on Friday, Mr Biden also said that he was "sorry for the way she got treated". | |
| Ms Hill on Thursday told the New York Times she would not endorse Mr Biden. | |
| Her remarks came the same day that the Democratic former vice-president under Barack Obama formally launched his White House bid. | |
| Mr Biden shot to the front of a crowded field of 20 contenders from his party who vying to thwart Republican President Donald Trump's re-election hopes. | |
| What's the Anita Hill row? | What's the Anita Hill row? |
| Ms Hill said that Mr Biden had called her before announcing his presidential bid and expressed his "regret for what she endured" during the hearing. | |
| But she said that apology was not enough without "real change". | |
| "I cannot be satisfied by simply saying, 'I'm sorry for what happened to you,'" Ms Hill told the newspaper. | |
| She added that she could not support Mr Biden unless he showed "real accountability" for his handling of her testimony before Congress in 1991. | |
| During his Friday appearance on The View, Mr Biden - who raised $6.3m (£4.8m) on the first day of his campaign - was asked about offering a personal apology to Ms Hill. | |
| "I'm sorry for the way she got treated," Mr Biden responded. | |
| "If you go back and look at what I said or didn't say, I don't think I treated her badly." | |
| In 1991, Ms Hill was called to testify at Mr Thomas' confirmation hearing after an FBI interview with her was leaked to the press. | |
| The hearing was conducted by an all-white, all-male panel, and several women apparently willing to corroborate Ms Hill's account were not called to testify by Mr Biden. | The hearing was conducted by an all-white, all-male panel, and several women apparently willing to corroborate Ms Hill's account were not called to testify by Mr Biden. |
| Both Ms Hill and Justice Thomas are African-American. | |
| Decades on, the event is considered a political embarrassment for Mr Biden, who remains a favourite to secure the Democratic nomination. | Decades on, the event is considered a political embarrassment for Mr Biden, who remains a favourite to secure the Democratic nomination. |
| Earlier this month, the former vice-president pledged to be "more mindful" about physical contact with women after a number accused him of unwelcome physical contact. | Earlier this month, the former vice-president pledged to be "more mindful" about physical contact with women after a number accused him of unwelcome physical contact. |
| What about Charlottesville? | |
| Mr Biden has also been reproached by the mother of an anti-racism protester who was killed during a far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. | |
| Susan Bro told the Daily Beast the presidential hopeful had not notified her that he planned to invoke Heather Heyer's death during his campaign launch video on Thursday. | |
| "Most people do that sort of thing," she told the Daily Beast. "They capitalise on whatever situation is handy. | "Most people do that sort of thing," she told the Daily Beast. "They capitalise on whatever situation is handy. |
| "He didn't reach out to me, and didn't mention her by name specifically, and he probably knew we don't endorse candidates." | "He didn't reach out to me, and didn't mention her by name specifically, and he probably knew we don't endorse candidates." |
| In a later interview with CNN, Ms Bro softened her tone, saying she was not particularly upset because "the issue is about the hate, it's not about Heather". | |
| Ms Bro added that she had told Mr Biden his video could have traumatised for some Charlottesville survivors. | Ms Bro added that she had told Mr Biden his video could have traumatised for some Charlottesville survivors. |
| More on Charlottesville | More on Charlottesville |
| Mr Biden raised the issue of Charlottesville again while on The View, where he said President Trump's much-pilloried response to the violent protest in part inspired his decision to run. | |
| He accused Mr Trump of comparing "neo-Nazis" to "genuinely decent Americans". | |
| Days after the Unite the Right rally, Mr Trump provoked uproar for saying there "were very fine people on both sides" in Charlottesville. | |
| Although he also said neo-Nazis and white nationalists should be "condemned totally", it was not enough to contain the political fallout. | |
| The president revisited those remarks on Friday. | The president revisited those remarks on Friday. |
| "If you look at what I said, you will see that question was answered perfectly, and I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E Lee, a great general," he told reporters outside the White House. | "If you look at what I said, you will see that question was answered perfectly, and I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E Lee, a great general," he told reporters outside the White House. |
| The Charlottesville unrest began when a number of racist groups gathered to protest against plans to remove a statue of Lee, who commanded pro-slavery Confederacy forces during the American Civil War. | The Charlottesville unrest began when a number of racist groups gathered to protest against plans to remove a statue of Lee, who commanded pro-slavery Confederacy forces during the American Civil War. |
| Trump v Biden | Trump v Biden |
| Meanwhile, an unnamed Republican strategist told Politico that Mr Trump is concerned about Mr Biden's candidacy. | Meanwhile, an unnamed Republican strategist told Politico that Mr Trump is concerned about Mr Biden's candidacy. |
| According to the report, the source said Mr Trump asked his advisers last fall: "How are we gonna beat Biden?" | According to the report, the source said Mr Trump asked his advisers last fall: "How are we gonna beat Biden?" |
| When his aides predicted Mr Biden would not win the Democratic nomination, the president pressed: "But what if he does?" | When his aides predicted Mr Biden would not win the Democratic nomination, the president pressed: "But what if he does?" |
| Speaking to reporters on Friday, however, Mr Trump projected confidence that he could beat Mr Biden "easily". | Speaking to reporters on Friday, however, Mr Trump projected confidence that he could beat Mr Biden "easily". |
| Who will take on Trump in 2020? | Who will take on Trump in 2020? |