Bus for new Biden Democratic challenger is spotted on the road to New Hampshire – sparking furious speculation Dean Phillips will announce his run this Friday

A bus reading “Dean Phillips for President” was spotted in Ohio on Tuesday, fueling speculation that Minnesota Democrat Rep. Dean Phillips will announce a presidential bid in New Hampshire next Friday.

For months, Phillips, 54, has pondered a Democratic primary challenge to 80-year-old President Joe Biden. vent to Politico in February that Democrats’ chances of retaining the White House “could be at greater risk if this path is cleared.”

So far, Biden has only been challenged by self-help guru Marianne Williamson, who ran as a Democrat, and Robert F. Kennedy, who is now running as an independent candidate.

Phillips would be the first Democratic Biden rival to actually hold elected office, serving in Congress since 2019 and representing Minnesota’s Third District.

News Call 830 Jason DeRusha of WCCO posted a video and photo Tuesday from the Phillips bus, which also reads “Make America Affordable Again” and uses Phillips’ signature slogan: “Everyone’s Invitationed!” which he also uses for congressional runs.

Rep. Dean Phillips (left), 54, has been considering a Democratic primary against President Joe Biden (right) for months because he worries that the 80-year-old commander-in-chief would not run unopposed in the Democratic primary. Democrats could be more vulnerable

A DailyMail.com query about the campaign bus to a Phillips Congressional campaign official went unanswered.

Earlier this month, Phillips resigned as co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, hinting that he would enter the race.

“My beliefs regarding the 2024 presidential race are incongruent with the majority of my caucus, and I felt it appropriate to step aside from the elected leadership to avoid unnecessary distractions during a critical time for our country” , he said in a statement.

And on Friday, Politico reported this that a consulting firm with ties to Phillips has secured an event permit to take over State House Plaza in Concord, New Hampshire on Friday from 8 a.m. to noon.

A source warned he could still get cold feet.

Friday is the last day for presidential candidates to file forms for the New Hampshire primary.

New Hampshire normally hosts the nation’s first primary — days after the Iowa caucuses — but after the Democratic Party in Iowa failed to report 2020 results for hours and Biden’s first victory came in South Carolina — the president greenlighted a plan to reshuffle the Democratic primaries.

News Talk 830 WCCO’s Jason DeRusha posted a video and photo of the Phillips bus on Tuesday, which also reads “Make America Affordable Again” and uses Phillips’ signature slogan: “Everyone’s Invitationed!” which he also uses for congressional runs

But New Hampshire has a law on its books that it must hold its first primary and that Republicans control the state government, so it seems likely that the Granite State will hold an unsanctioned Democratic primary and Biden’s name won’t be on the ballot .

This opens the door for Phillips, or another challenger, to defeat Biden in the nation’s first primary — unless Biden supporters can successfully mount a write-in campaign.

Polls have shown that voters doubt whether the president can effectively serve a second term at Biden’s age.

An AP-NORC poll from August said 77 percent of Americans — including 69 percent of Democrats — said Biden is too old to be effective for another four years.

Phillips has said Biden would have to be “15-20 years younger” to get a resounding endorsement from him.