On Sunday, Democrat Rep. Dean Phillips (MN) urged other top Democrats to join the 2024 presidential race and primary President Joe Biden.
Phillips made his comments during an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” with Major Garrett.
“Democrats are telling me that they want, not a coronation, but they want a competition,” Phillips said. “The New York Times poll from this week shows 55% of Democratic voters want some alternatives to the current people in the primary. 83% of those under 30. Democrats under 30 want alternatives, and about 76% of independents.”
Phillips suggested that if Democrats do not run someone other than Biden as the party’s nominee in 2024 then the consequences “are going to be disastrous.”
“So my call is to those who are well positioned, well prepared, have good character and competency, they know who they are, to jump in, because Democrats and the country need competition,” Phillips said.
“I do not believe I’m well positioned to run for it right now,” he later added. “People who are should jump in because we need to meet the moment. The moment is now. That is what the country is asking.”
Phillips said that he believes that Biden can beat Trump but added that he needs to “go through a process by the way before it’s too late.”
He also said that he does not believe that Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a Democrat and said that he is anxious about Cornell West running as a Green Party candidate.
“Anybody who wants to turn the page and go to the future in this country should be worried about Cornell West’s candidacy,” Phillips said. “Any third party entrance that would take votes from whoever is going to take on the likely nominee from the GOP and that’s probably Donald Trump. So I would ask Mr. West, I would ask others who are contemplating third party runs to please think about your legacy, think about the future and consolidate around entering a Democratic primary because that’s why we have primaries.”
