Rep. Dean Phillips has apologized for comments he made about Vice President Kamala Harris in an interview.
“I owe an apology. In the Atlantic, I shared kind words about @VP Harris because that’s been my personal experience and I respect her,” he wrote on the social media site X.
“I shouldn’t have referenced other people’s opinions. I own that and apologize to her and everyone who’s been affected by similar circumstances,” he added.
In the article published Tuesday, the Minnesota Democrat said that he has heard that others don’t think Ms. Harris would be the best fit to succeed President Biden.
“I hear from others who know her a lot better than I do that many think she’s not well positioned,” he said in the interview. “She is not well prepared, doesn’t have the right disposition and the right competencies to execute that office.”
“I think that Americans have made the decision that she’s not,” he said of Ms. Harris.
He pointed out Ms. Harris’ low approval ratings, and how they run even behind those of Mr. Biden, saying “It’s pretty clear that she’s not somebody people have faith in.”
“From my personal experiences, I’ve not seen those deficiencies,” he said, adding that every interaction he’s had with her has been “thoughtful [and he’s] enjoyed them.”
Mr. Phillips only launched his presidential campaign late last month.
A recent poll from 538 shows him with only 4.1% of support from Democrats while the president stands at 67.4% and fellow longshot candidate Marianne Williamson holds 6.4%.
His comments generated a backlash from other Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Robert Garcia of California.
“Apparently Dean Phillips is floundering so hard that he’s now resorting to attacking Vice-President Harris,” Mr. Garcia wrote Monday on X. “He better keep the VP’s name out of his mouth and apologize.”
“No one will support him so he’s going to torch his reputation on the way out,” he said. “Sad to see.”
Mr. Phillips was questioned on CNN Wednesday about his comments and why he would repeat them if they didn’t align with his experiences.
“I did not articulate that distinctly. That was asked of me. Others have said that to the reporter in question,” Mr. Phillips said on CNN. “What I’ve said is when I’ve been around her, I’ve been impressed. She’s been kind. She’s been thoughtful and decent.”
But he went on to say that approval numbers show that “Americans are saying they do not want this ticket,” of Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris.
He added that if Ms. Harris wants to run for president herself, she should.
“The water is warm. We live in democracy, what is everybody so afraid to actually exercise our democratic muscles?” he said. “It doesn’t happen on its own. You got to plant seeds, you got to water them, and most of all, you got to participate.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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