Why Joe Biden is in trouble

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden just had his worst week of the campaign cycle. The former vice president was bombarded with plenty of unrelenting criticism of his policies for days, unable to defend his platform from the harsh attacks that even came from the mainstream media.

A recent article in Politico noted that his proposals would raise $4 trillion over a decade, thanks to increased rates on high income households and businesses, citing a study by the Tax Policy Center. Biden came under fire for his record over the economy, his support for the North American Free Trade Agreement, his suspicious backing of China, and other issues.

Biden also decided last week not to attend the Democratic convention, his political coronation ceremony that would have really pushed him from the basement and out in front of a real live audience. About the same time, we also learned that Donald Trump beat his opponent in fundraising by more than $25 million last month, dealing Biden one more atrocious blow.

But the worst blunder came during one of his rare public appearances. He stated, “Unlike the African American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is the incredibly diverse community with incredibly diverse attitudes about different things,” demonstrating to us exactly why his handlers want to avoid as many public appearances by the candidate. The condemnations of his offensive comments were brutal and swift.

So Biden was forced to clarify his remarks over this hours later. “In no way did I mean to suggest the African American community is a monolith, not by identity, not on issues, not at all,” he explained. “Throughout my career I have witnessed the diversity about thought, background, and sentiment within the African American community.” Biden added, “It is this diversity that makes our workplaces, communities, and country a better place.”

The recent diversity comment was not the only offensive thing Biden said. He bristled at a Black reporter who asked if the candidate took a cognitive test. Biden compared that to him asking if the journalist is a “junkie” and if he had been tested for cocaine before going on air. Political pundits claim that this election will be much closer come this fall. But if last week is any indication, Biden may witness his campaign crash and burn by then.

Madison Gesiotto is an attorney who serves with the advisory board of the Donald Trump campaign. You can follow her on Twitter @MadisonGesiotto.