Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) is calling on President Joe Biden to “pass the torch” to another Democratic leader for the 2024 presidential race, saying he represents the majority of the United States that want to move the party forward.
Phillips said in an interview Sunday with Chuck Todd on NBC News’s Meet the Press that donors and constituents want to “move on.” Phillips has been floated as a possible challenger to Biden in 2024, though he has not pledged to join the race.
INFLATION COMPLICATES BIDEN’S PATH BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE
“It’s not about what’s real all the time, it’s about how people feel. People want to turn the page,” Phillips said. “As a Democrat, I adore Joe Biden, he saved this country. He can cement his legacy … the call to action is to ask the president to pass the torch.”
Phillips’s comments come as Biden receives historically low approval ratings for his presidency. He also has narrow leads in some key battleground states and slightly falls behind in others, which could cost him reelection in 2024. An Emerson College poll from Aug. 4 showed Biden and Trump deadlocked at 44% in Michigan.
The Minnesota congressman said there is an “extraordinary bench” of Democrats that could be viable options for the party to take the national stage. He said he would like to see a “moderate governor from the Heartland,” naming people like Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) and Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL).
Phillips clarified that he does not think Biden is incapable of running for a second term, but people need to “look at the data.”
“In business, you got to recognize this because the data speaks the truth. The data is speaking the truth right now,” Phillips said, adding that “it’s not too late.”
Phillips acknowledged that his “unpopular” opinion is usually only discussed behind closed doors, stating that he believes Democrats are afraid to speak up in support of alternative Democratic presidential candidates for fear of a loss to Republicans and former President Donald Trump.
“There’s no political reward in the United States right now for simply speaking the truth,” Phillips said. “Look at what happened to my Republican colleagues, who dared do the right thing and support the Constitution … look what happened to them?”
“It is not good to get out of line … at a time that we need it more than ever,” Phillips continued.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
However, several Democrats, including Phillips, have blasted the organization called No Labels for its attempt to run a third-party candidate, as data analysis shows a third candidate could swing the vote in favor of Trump.
Phillips said Green Party candidate Cornel West and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who has mulled a presidential bid under a third-party ticket, should run in the Democratic primary instead of splitting the party.
