MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said Tuesday that given Joe Biden’s considerable early lead in both national and state polls, it seems Biden’s biggest detriment is Biden himself.
Scarborough said he thought the gaffe-prone Biden’s building momentum could be damaged by something he says or does on the campaign trail.
“I know we’re supposed to say it’s very early. It’s very early. At the same time when you have 21, 22 people in the field, you tell me how those 21 other people running against Joe Biden are going to be able to draw political blood on the debate stage, or even on the campaign trail?” Scarborough said.
“Seems to me right now Joe Biden’s biggest danger would be a self-inflicted wound,” he added.
[Opinion: Third time’s the charm: Rusty gaffe-machine Joe Biden enters 2020 race]
Biden, 76, has a history of gaffes, comments, and actions that have raised eyebrows. A number of women in recent weeks have accused him of being too touchy with them, raising concerns among some #MeToo activists. He later joked about the complaints.
The Washington Examiner reported on Monday that a month after the 1988 presidential election, Biden joked about the infamous “Willie Horton” ad, which was widely viewed as racist. He also once called former segregationist Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond “one of my closest friends.”
A RealClearPolitics national average of polls has Biden with a commanding lead at 39%. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., trails him at 15.5% followed by the rest of the 2020 Democratic hopefuls.
