Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., speaks during the Problem Solvers Caucus press conference in the Capitol on Tuesday,.Photo:Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota has announced his presidential campaign to challengePresident Joe Bidenin the2024 Democratic primary, according to multiple reports.
In an exclusive interview withCBS Morningspreviewed on Thursday evening, Phillips, 54, told Robert Costa he thinks Biden “has done a spectacular job for our country, but it’s not about the past.”
“I will not sit still,” he added. “I will not be quiet in the face of numbers that are so clearly saying that we’re going to be facing an emergency next November.”
Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., nominates Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., right, for Speaker of House on Friday, January 6, 2023.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
On Friday, Phillips is expected to officially launch his campaign in Concord, where he will file to run for the Democratic primary in New Hampshire,CNNreported.
In a60-second spotin the Granite State on Friday morning, the Democrat said, “I’m Dean Phillips and I’m running for President of the United States of America,” adding, “And I’m coming to New Hampshire to answer your questions.”
“I love New Hampshire,” he continued. “I spent my summers as a kid in the White Mountains, going to camp, got to canoe the Saco River, learn how to fish, learn how to shoot a gun. Got to climb the presidential range including Mount Washington.”
Dean Phillips, D-Minn., right, and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., are seen outside the House Democratic Caucus leadership election in Longworth Building on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
“And it’s also where I learned to love my country and that’s why I’m back as a candidate for president in the place where we begin, where presidential candidates stand before you, the voters walk through the snow, listen to your dreams, hear your concerns and most of all discuss how we’re gonna work together to move to the future,” Phillips concluded.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories
The congressman, who recently stepped down from his House Democratic leadership role, claimed the president would be a weak contender in the general election due to his age and low popularity ratings, per CNN.
According toNBC News, two sources said Phillips tried to reach Biden three months ago to discuss his support for a contested Democratic primary, but his call was not answered.
Phillips told CNN that the call was “a courtesy to advise him of my intentions, which at that time were to call for a new generation of candidates to compete for the nomination.”
Publicly, Phillips — also a multi-millionaire — has said Biden is not capable of beatingDonald Trumpas he did in 2020, perTime.
source: people.com
