Former vice president Joe Biden received a “gut punch” this week in Iowa, and the so-called “frontrunner” is slated to come in third in the New Hampshire Democratic primary next Tuesday.

But his strong support among blacks in states like South Carolina are expected to help buoy the elderly statesman heading into Super Tuesday, March 3, when the greatest number of states hold primary elections and caucuses.

Or at least that was the idea.

Yesterday, roughly half of South Carolina’s 45-member Legislative Black Caucus held a press conference to blast a top Biden surrogate there for allegedly racist comments. The black leaders said they’re prepared to take immediate action if the former VP doesn’t disavow state Sen. Dick Harpootlian, who allegedly insinuated Black Caucus Chairman Jerry Govan was “bought” by Tom Steyer, the billionaire Democratic candidate, according to The Associated Press.

“We ask that he do it publicly, and that he do it now,” House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford said. “His refusal to do so will not go over well in the black community, and it certainly will not go over well with members of the Black Caucus that are standing behind me.”

So far, that hasn’t happened.

Biden spokeswoman Paige Hill told the AP on Wednesday Harpootlian “does not speak for the Biden campaign.”

Harpootlian highlighted “almost $50,000” Govan received from Steyer, who he described as “Mr. Money Bags,” on Twitter on Wednesday.

He later elaborated for the Post and Courier newspaper.

“He told me he was with Joe Biden until Mr. Moneybags showed up,” Harpootlian said.

“This is what happens when billionaires get involved, whether it’s Donald Trump or Tom Steyer. They just buy things,” he said. “They don’t have to persuade anybody, they just buy them.”

Govan was previously co-chairman of Biden’s failed 2008 presidential bid, the AP reports.

Harpootlian denies he’s a racist, and said the allegation is designed to deflect from Steyer’s campaign spending a lot of money to court black support in Columbia.

“I’m not racially motivated in any of this,” he said. “I will not be silenced by those who use race as a shield from criticism. … this is an effort to shield themselves by saying this is racist.”

Biden, meanwhile, seemingly has no issue with being silenced.

As the controversy unfolds, he’s nowhere to be found. Biden hosted no events today, and online sleuths contend he took a private plane back home to Delaware, Twitchy reports.

Biden is expected back in New Hampshire for a debate on Friday.

His campaign, meanwhile, fired its Iowa field director, Adrienne Bogen. That prompted several Biden aides to offer their assessment of the operation in defense of their colleague, Politico reports.

The unidentified aides described the dysfunction as “a cluster-f**k,” “a shit show,” and “a f**king disaster.”