Dean Phillips Steps Down From House Leadership Over Biden Concerns

Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota, a moderate Democrat, recently resigned from his post as House Democratic leader, claiming a fundamental difference in convictions about the forthcoming presidential election. Rep. Dean Phillips, of Minnesota's Third Congressional District, was co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) before his recent announcement. His choice to resign from this position of leadership, on the other hand, was a declaration of his convictions.

"My convictions relative to the 2024 presidential race are incongruent with the majority of my caucus, and I felt it appropriate to step aside from elected leadership to avoid unnecessary distractions during a critical time for our country,” Phillips said in a statement forwarded by the spokesperson, per Politico.

"I celebrate Leader [Hakeem] Jeffries for his remarkable and principled leadership and extend gratitude to my outstanding friends and colleagues for having created space and place for my perspectives. I’ll continue to abide by my convictions, place people over politics, and support our shared mission to deliver security, opportunity, and prosperity for all Americans."

Phillips stated that he does not believe President Biden is the best candidate for the Democratic Party in the upcoming presidential race. The thought of Phillips running against President Biden in a Democratic primary has been floating around for a while. He has met with funders and actively sought potential successors to the existing president. In August, he urged other Democrats to "jump in" to the presidential campaign, citing polling data indicating that a sizable number of Democrats would prefer someone other than Biden to be President in 2024.

"I think I’m well positioned to be president [of] the United States. …" Phillips stated, recognizing his credentials. He did, however, acknowledge the difficulties he would face, saying, "I do not believe I’m well positioned to run for it right now." Despite this, he has not ruled out a run for the presidency.

“I am thinking about it. I haven’t ruled it out,” Phillips said on The Warning Podcast, though he acknowledged that there are people “more proximate, better prepared to campaign with national organizations, national name recognition, which I do not possess.”

Phillips' concerns about President Biden's age have been key to his desire for stronger competition within the Democratic Party. Biden, at the age of 80, is the oldest president in American history. If re-elected, he would be 86 at the end of his second term. Issues regarding Biden's age, cognitive capacity, and ability to understand and handle the issues of the younger generation have been the subject of ongoing debate and speculation.

Phillips is not the only one who is concerned about the president's age. In a CNN poll conducted by SSRS in late August, over three-quarters of Americans voiced serious concerns about Biden's age hurting his physical and mental competency, ability to serve another full term, and ability to grasp the issues of the next generation.