Dean Phillips keeps dunking on Biden after losing to write-in effort, saying people are ‘deluded’ if they think 81-year old can beat Trump

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips said Democrats are “misguided” if they believe President Joe Biden can defeat former President Donald Trump in a rematch of the 2024 general election.

Phillips launched a lengthy presidential campaign in October and carried about 20 percent of the Democratic New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, though he was defeated by Biden on a successful write-in campaign.

Due to a Biden-approved decision by the Democratic National Committee to realign the Democratic primaries and put South Carolina first, the president’s name did not appear on the first New Hampshire primary ballot.

Phillips sat down with CNN’s Kasie Hunt in Amherst, New Hampshire, on Wednesday morning and told the journalist, “The country is just not going to vote for Joe Biden.”

‘AAnd I try to make my party aware of that truth. I am a Democrat and I do not want Donald Trump to return to the United States White House,” the Minnesota lawmaker said.

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips held an election night party at the Millyard Museum in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, telling his supporters he would continue his challenge against President Joe Biden after receiving 21 percent of the vote.

As Hunt pressed Phillips, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, about the millions he has spent on his fledgling campaign, the congresswoman said she was missing the point.

“The numbers that matter are the 33% or 34% approval ratings,” Phillips argued. “He’s losing in the battlegrounds to a man who’s being sued, whose companies have gone bankrupt, whose foundation has closed, who’s a disaster and who we’re sleepwalking into.”

At a watch party in Manchester on Tuesday evening, Phillips told about a hundred supporters that he would carry on.

He told Hunt that there were a few “surprises” coming in South Carolina, where a Democratic primary will be held on February 3.

Phillips also said he would stay in the race until enough people know him so there can be accurate polls on how he would stack up against Trump, versus Biden as the Democratic nominee, in November’s general election.

“I’m in this until I can absolutely generate brand awareness to a point where people can compare a poll of me to Donald Trump and Joe Biden to Donald Trump,” he said.

He argued that Trump would beat Biden — and if Trump’s rival Nikki Haley could win the nomination — he would beat him even worse.

A sign for Dean Phillips stands in the snow near a polling place in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire. The Minnesota congressman received 21 percent of the vote from Granite State Democrats. President Joe Biden’s name was not on the ballot

“People who think Joe Biden is going to be Donald Trump are, I think, misguided,” Phillips said.

In addition to Phillips, self-help guru Marianne Williamson has also said she will continue in the Democratic primary after receiving only about 4.6 percent of the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday.

As soon as the polls closed at 8 p.m., CNN and The Associated Press almost immediately called the Granite State race for Biden.

Phillips acknowledged that Biden had indeed won the write-in campaign — he received about 68 percent of the vote and 80 percent reported.

“Congratulations to President Biden who absolutely won tonight,” he said.

But added: “But certainly not in a way that a strong incumbent president should, but I respect him, he won.”

He also tipped his hat to Williamson.

‘She’s worked hard for this twice now. She gets no media attention. Her proposals are things we all need to think about,” he said of the best-selling author, who was holding her own election night down the street.

“And I think her courage and her tenacity at a time when we need competition and not a coronation should be celebrated by everyone here,” he told his supporters.

The 55-year-old congressman also noted Trump’s victory over the former UN ambassador. Nikki Haley and praised her for staying in the race.

“Tonight I want to honor Nikki Haley for the tenacity she has to stay in this race and still try to take that man down, because you know what? I think that’s necessary,” Phillips said.

“And I think having her in the race and me in the race could be the most important decisions for both of us in our lives,” he added.