Though he’s yet to officially enter the race, Joe Biden has struggled to keep his imminent 2020 bid under wraps. The former vice president has been making key staffing hires, accidentally described himself as “running,” and told supporters in March that he “may need” their energy in a few weeks. But as his campaign ramps up to a likely spring announcement, the presumptive candidate’s attempt to maintain some semblance of secrecy is now being thwarted by an unexpected source: over-eager stage moms.

Politico reports that a Spanish-language ad to promote Biden was filmed in South Florida over the weekend, which emphasizes the former V.P.’s “healthcare, education, and his biography” as Biden makes a push for Hispanic voters’ support. Though meant to be a covert shoot—local actors were asked to sign N.D.A.s before reportedly saying words like “faith” and “opportunity” in Spanish in front of a green screen—social-media posts of the now not-so-secret filming turned the whole affair into a very public debacle.

“We are in a hot mess with campaign and client because someone leaked footage,” an e-mail to the actors reportedly read, putting the blame for the social-media leaks on “some moms taking photo/video of their kids while they were being filmed.” The e-mail called the leaks a “VERY SERIOUS matter”—emphasized in bright red font—and directed participants to “PLEASE DELETE” any images or video and not speak with the press. “If found photos or videos were posted after signing the NDA, legal action can occur,” the message warned.

It’s not clear whether Biden’s campaign or American Possibilities committee is behind the commercial, or if it’s the work of an outside PAC. But the bungled shoot marks just the latest in a string of hiccups for the Biden campaign even before it officially kicks off, from the controversy over the former V.P.’s touchy-feely behavior with women—and initial jokes and non-apology—to Biden’s loose lips over his presumed run, saying at a March fundraising event that he has “the most progressive record for anybody running” before quickly correcting his phrasing to “of anyone who would run.” This isn’t even the first time that the candidate’s television plans have been accidentally made public, after Biden was spotted filming at his former childhood home earlier in April.

The Spanish-language ad’s inadvertent sabotage might be a metaphor of sorts for the Biden campaign’s broader tendency toward gaffes, as well as the media's eagerness to make said gaffes into a central narrative of Biden’s nascent campaign. But ultimately: will it matter? President Donald Trump has spoken out against Biden’s twisted words—a true example of the pot calling the kettle black—but the current frontrunner’s slip-ups still haven’t caused a significant dip in the polls or loss of support among top Democrats. “I am a gaffe machine,” Biden admitted in a December 2018 speech, “but my God, what a wonderful thing compared to a guy who can’t tell the truth.”

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