Rep. Dean Phillips is stepping down from Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives after saying he is considering a primary challenge to President Joe Biden.
The 54-year-old Minnesota Democrat said he was not forced to give up his position as co-chair of the House of Representatives Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, but that he did so because he was causing “inconvenience” among his colleagues.
“I have decided to step down from the leadership of the DPCC and the Democratic Caucus. Although politics and civil service do not mix, it is clear that my beliefs about 2024 are not in line with the position of my colleagues and that has caused discomfort. I was not pressured or forced to resign,” he said in a statement to X.
Phillips said last month that he is “considering” running Biden in next year’s Democratic presidential primaries. Biden has yet to face a serious challenge from his own party, despite his age, concerns among Democrats about his recent blunders and voters who say they would like an alternative candidate.
Rep. Dean Phillips is stepping down from Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives after saying he is considering a primary challenge to President Joe Biden
‘I’m thinking about it. I haven’t ruled it out,” Phillips said in an interview with Steve Schmidt’s podcast The Warning last month.
“I’m afraid there is no alternative,” he noted, pointing to Biden’s age. “I’m afraid something could happen between now and November of next year that would make the Democratic Convention in Chicago a complete disaster.”
‘And for a party that behaves like adults in the room, thank goodness I’m afraid that’s not the case when it comes to our election strategy. So I’m considering it,” he added.
Phillips is a three-term moderate Democrat from suburban Minneapolis. He previously worked in corporate marketing and branding. His grandmother was Pauline Esther Phillips, better known as the advice columnist Dear Abby.
He began pitching the idea of a challenge to Biden in July.
However, he also admits that he may not be in the best position politically or well-known enough on the national stage to challenge the incumbent president.
He has urged other Democrats to consider running in the presidential primaries.
“Democrats tell me they don’t want a coronation, they want a competition,” Phillips told CBS’ Face the Nation in August.
‘If we don’t heed that call, we should be ashamed. And the consequences, I think, will be disastrous,” Phillips said.
Biden is currently facing Democratic challenges from self-help author Marianne Williamson and environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Neither poses a major challenge in the polls, even as voters say they would like a different choice, citing Biden’s age.
Polls show that voters would like an alternative candidate to President Joe Biden
In addition, the president has made a series of blunders that have raised concerns among some Democrats.
In the past few weeks alone, Biden repeated the same story twice in minutes, confused a black group with a Hispanic group and mangled LL Cool J’s name, also calling him “boy.”
This summer, on Take Your Child to Work Day, Biden seemed to forget how many grandchildren he had as he spoke to the children of White House staff.
“So, let me see. I have one in New York, two in Philadelphia – or is it three? No, three, because I have a granddaughter who – I don’t know. You’re confusing me,” he said.
He also couldn’t name the last country he visited or his favorite movie.
Biden underwent his final annual physical at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Maryland in February and was declared healthy, but his cognitive skills were not assessed.
White House aides have defended the president as sharp and committed.
However, they also have him do balance exercises, wear sneakers and use Air Force One’s shorter stairs to avoid trips and falls, something that has happened to him many times.
In June, Biden tripped on a sandbag during the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, leaving him sprawled on the ground as he was helped by officials.
Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left) and Marianne Williamson (right) are already making a longshot bid for the 2024 Democratic nomination
Polls show voters are concerned about Biden’s age. At 80, he is the oldest president in American history. If he were to win a second term, he would be 86 when this one is over.
Many Democrats are among those involved.
A Wall Street Journal poll this summer found that 75 percent of voters think Biden is too old to run for a second term. Those who think Biden is too old include as many as two-thirds of Democrats.
Biden jokes about his age. He has also argued that this means he has the experience to do the job.
‘A lot of people seem focused on my age. Believe me, I know it better than anyone,” he said recently at a fundraiser in New York. ‘When this country was flat on its back, I knew what I had to do.
“I am more optimistic about the future of this country than I have been in the 800 years I have served,” he added with a laugh.