Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who is challenging Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, told NBC News’ Kristen Welker that he’s not running against the president before the “Meet the Press NOW” host checked him on the assertion Friday.
“I’m not running against Joe Biden. I’m not running against President Biden. I’m running for the future. Yes, we have some policy differences, but I’m a proud Democrat,” said Phillips after Welker asked if he has “any major policy critiques” for the Biden administration due to how he seemingly always votes with the president.
Phillips, a distillery heir and one of Congress’ wealthiest members who launched his 2024 presidential bid Thursday, went on to criticize the cost of living in the U.S. before Welker reminded him who he’s running against.
“Congressman, respectfully, you are literally running against President Biden. So, can you tell voters, what is your major point of difference with President Biden?” asked Welker before Phillips reiterated his “running” remark.
“I’m not running against President Biden. I’m running for the majority of Americans, who want somebody different. I woke up the morning after the 2016 –,” he said before Welker interjected.
“But you just announced you’re running for president, aren’t you? That means you’re running against President Biden. That’s literally the definition of what that means,” Welker noted before the congressman said he’s running “because America deserves to have someone listen to them.”
Phillips, who has expressed concerns about Biden’s age ahead of his campaign announcement this week, has sparked criticism among Democrats who fear the run serves as a means to promote himself.
The congressman, who has promised to rally behind the eventual Democratic nominee, told Welker that lawmakers “aren’t listening” to Americans who “want change.”
″So when I hear people in Washington say that this is a mistake or this is nuts, that is exactly the evidence that everybody needs watching right now that something is terribly wrong,” he said.
“We are the exhausted majority of this nonsense. People who are so much more focused on preserving and protecting their power than they are protecting American people.”
You can check out more of Welker’s interview with Phillips in the clip below.
