Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., gained the endorsement of former 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang on Thursday, who told voters in New Hampshire it was time to upgrade from the predicted Biden vs. Trump rematch that “no one wants.”
Phillips, who is considered to be a moderate Minnesotan, is a long shot to lead the Democratic presidential ticket, but he and Yang were campaigning in the Granite State ahead of the primary on Jan. 23.
The two men attended an event together at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire on Thursday afternoon, with Yang introducing the Democratic candidate.
Yang spoke about other Democratic leaders like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker who have not thrown their names into the ring for president because President Biden is seeking reelection.
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“If you want to run for president, your time is right now. In this time of need, only one person decided to place his country above his professional aspirations,” Yang said. “That is the man I am proud to endorse tonight as the next President of the United States… Dean Phillips.”
Yang told the crowd at Dartmouth that he spent time in New Hampshire four years ago, campaigning for President Biden, but noted the last four years have not been great.
He said if they had been great, he may not have been with them on Thursday night, endorsing Phillips.
“He is a substantial, accomplished president. I campaigned for him in 2020. I endorsed him,” Yang said of Biden. “He’s a good man, a true public servant and a great American. He was the right candidate four years ago. He is not the right candidate for 2024.”
The former presidential candidate said when Biden campaigned in 2020, he said he was running to be the bridge to the next generation.
Yang said the U.S. needs Biden to be that bridge to the next generation, pointing to the president’s low approval rating and not being the top candidate in several swing states he won in 2020.
“Essentially, you can take his numbers for 2020 and subtract eight from them, and that’s where he is right now,” Yang said, reminding the attendees he is the “math guy.”
Yang also pointed to Biden’s age, explaining that at 81 years old, it will be tough to “reinvent grandpa.”
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He said campaigning is tough because of things like traveling, rallying, meeting new voters, and doing friendly interviews, especially for the 81-year-old president.
“All of it is going to be tougher for Joe Biden this cycle than it needs to be for the person who’s going to take on Donald Trump,” Yang said. “…poll after poll shows Joe Biden losing to Donald Trump by two or three or four points more in the swing states. The same polls find Donald Trump losing to a generic Democrat. You put another Democrat in there and all of a sudden people are like, wait, I don’t like Trump. Who’s this other person?”
Yang continued, and said Biden has been a great leader, though he should not run for reelection in 2024. Yang said many Democrats feel the same way, yet nobody wants to step up.
“The notion of challenging Joe Biden, that is the culture of conformity and careerism that is going to lead us again to this Trump return that so many of us find unfathomable,” Yang said. “[Dean Phillips] is not beholden to the special interests that have grown to dominate our politics. He is the man for this moment. He is what most Americans, certainly the independents who decide our elections actually want in a candidate. And most of all, he will win.”
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