Putin Grants Russian Citizenship to Biden Accuser, Tara Reade

Russian President, Vladimir Putin has granted Russian citizenship to Tara Reade, a former U.S. Senate aide who accused U.S. President Joe Biden of sexual assault in 1993.

The decision was announced on Monday, September 22, 2025, through a presidential decree published on the Russian government’s official portal.

Reade, who is legally known as Alexandra Tara McCabe, worked as an aide in Biden’s Senate office in the early 1990s.

In 2020, she publicly accused Biden of sexually assaulting her when he was a senator an allegation Biden has consistently denied. No charges were brought against the U.S. president.

The Russian decree listed Reade under her legal name and date of birth, confirming her as a new citizen.

Reade had relocated to Moscow in 2023, citing safety concerns in the United States following her allegations. She had also publicly expressed interest in obtaining Russian citizenship before the decree was issued.

Reade’s case has drawn significant political attention in both countries.

Analysts say the move underscores the increasingly tense relations between Washington and Moscow, with Russia previously offering citizenship to high-profile Western figures who defect or relocate.

The Kremlin did not provide an official explanation for the citizenship grant, but Russian media outlets described it as part of Moscow’s discretionary powers under presidential decree.

Reade has not yet publicly commented on her new citizenship status.