Rep. Dean Phillips, the Minnesota Democrat who mounted a failed primary challenge to President Biden last year, said fellow Democratic lawmakers are now privately lamenting to him they did not take his campaign more seriously.
Democrats find themselves in a difficult moment as they begrudgingly stand behind President Biden’s reelection campaign following his weak debate performance against former President Donald Trump and mounting concerns over whether the 81-year-old Mr. Biden is up to the job.
“It won’t surprise anybody that the likelihood of my candidacy succeeding was secondary to the likelihood of it inspiring the conversation I was trying to inspire,” Mr. Phillips told reporters. “I’m disappointed with those in power in my party for not heeding that call at a time where they all knew the same thing I did — absolutely.”
Mr. Phillips called his long-shot bid a “mission of principle” and that it was not supposed to be “easy” or “painless.”
“I knew it would have consequences, and it did,” he said. “…I care about the country, [the] president, my colleagues and I care about truth. And I’m deeply disappointed in a political system that has resulted in this dynamic that we now face.”
Last January, Mr. Phillips said during an interview on Fox News’ show “Hannity” that Mr. Biden experienced a physical and communication decline after Mr. Trump accused Mr. Biden of facing serious mental challenges.
“I’m not seeing cognitive decline. Of course, we’re seeing physical and communication decline. I think that’s self-evident by any video, but I don’t think that is fair,” Mr. Phillips said. “But he’s an 81-year-old man. He’s a human being. Donald Trump’s 77.”
Seven House Democrats have already called upon Mr. Biden to withdraw from the race and others have privately voiced concerns about whether he can serve for another four years. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado confirmed on CNN that he did tell his Democratic colleagues he did not think Mr. Biden could win in November.
Some Democratic lawmakers who say they support Mr. Biden’s candidacy are doing so tepidly, adding that he must prove himself on the campaign trail to the voters.
Mr. Phillips, who withdrew from the Democratic presidential primary in March, faced harsh criticism from his fellow Democrats for over a year, who dismissed his campaign as divisive and pressured him to drop out of the race. The critics included fellow Minnesotans such as Sen. Tina Smith and party leaders like Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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