Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential election and endorsed President Joe Biden.
“Americans demand an alternative, and democracy demands a choice. But it’s clear that the alternative is not me,” Phillips wrote on social media platform X. Wednesday. “And it’s clear that Joe Biden is our candidate, and this is an opportunity for America to show what kind of country we are and what we intend to become.”
Phillips’ withdrawal from the Democratic nomination comes hours after Republican candidate Nikki Haley announced her decision to suspend her bid for president, a widely anticipated candidate for Joe Biden in November. A rematch between the president and twice-impeached former president Donald Trump has been virtually confirmed.
Phillips’ announcement eviscerates the already uncompetitive Democratic primary.
On Super Tuesday, Biden won state after state, but lost in American Samoa, a U.S. territory, to little-known Democrat Jason Palmer. Biden’s campaign has been in general election mode for the past few weeks, ramping up after the president won New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Phillips hinted at an announcement on Super Tuesday, saying cryptically: “We’ll make a decision in the next few days.”
“As the only candidate not losing to Donald Trump in any poll, I am grateful for this beautifully orchestrated outpouring of desire to finish my mission to ensure his defeat,” Phillips said in a statement. “I am doing so,” he said. ×post on Super Tuesday. “I am impressed by its thoughtfulness and will spend the coming days making decisions about how to best achieve that objective.”
Phillips had previously promised to carry his campaign through the Democratic National Convention. Lacking funds, the campaign had to cut back on operations to survive, canceling scheduled events and laying off staff in February.
“We have found it nearly impossible to raise enough money to get this campaign off the ground,” Phillips said in a social media post on February 16.
Mr. Phillips, 55, raised most of his own money and launched his long-term presidential bid in October as a younger alternative to Mr. Biden, 81.
But beyond Mr. Phillips’ age, the three-term congressman and former Talenti Gelato CEO could not distinguish himself from the sitting president.in parliament he voted in favor lock step He did not mention Biden’s policies, but did not otherwise express any major policy differences with him.
In January, Phillips said if he were elected president, his cabinet That could include Tesla founder Elon Musk and hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman.
Another potential challenger to Biden, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-Va.), officially announced on February 16 that he will not run for president after months of flirtation with third-party bids. Announced.
The president, who has secured the Democratic nomination, is already turning his attention to the general election, which is likely to be a rematch between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump.
Biden’s age wasn’t enough to sustain Phillips’ campaign on his own, but it remains his biggest vulnerability as the general election approaches.
A recent February poll showed that concerns about Biden’s age and mental acuity remained a concern for respondents, even though he was doing better on other key voters’ priorities such as the economy. turned out to be the biggest problem.
Questions about the president’s age and mental acuity have grown, especially since the Feb. 8 release of a Justice Department report by special counsel Robert Hur.
The report examined Biden’s handling of classified documents and found the president criminally responsible for documents that were not properly stored. However, what caught the nation’s attention was Mr. Hsu’s description of Mr. Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, older man with a poor memory.”
“My memory is fine,” a visibly angry Biden said at a news conference hours after the release of the Hur report. “I’m an old guy so I know what I’m doing.”
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