Biden’s primary challenger says he’s ‘not running’ against Biden

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who is challenging Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, told NBC News’ Kristen Welker that he was not running against the president before the “Meet” host the Press NOW” did not verify this assertion on Friday. .

“I am not running against Joe Biden. I am not running against President Biden. I run for the future. Yes, we have some political differences, but I’m a proud Democrat,” Phillips said after Welker asked him if he had “any major political criticisms” of the Biden administration because of the way he apparently always votes with the president.

Phillips, a distillery heir and one of the richest members of Congress who launched his 2024 presidential bid on Thursday, went on to criticize the cost of living in the United States before Welker reminded him against whom he is running.

“Congressman, respectfully, you are literally running against President Biden. So, can you tell voters what your main point of difference with President Biden is? Welker asked before Phillips reiterated his “common” remark.

“I am not running against President Biden. I’m running for the majority of Americans, who want someone different. I woke up the morning after 2016 – ” he said before Welker intervened.

“But you just announced that you’re running for president, right?” This means you are running against President Biden. That’s literally the definition of what it means,” Welker noted before the congressman said he’s running “because America deserves someone to listen to them.”

Phillips, who expressed concerns about Biden’s age before his campaign announcement this week, has drawn criticism among Democrats who fear the candidacy is a way to promote himself.

The congressman, who has promised to rally behind the eventual Democratic nominee, told Welker that lawmakers are “not listening” to Americans who “want change.”

“So when I hear people in Washington saying it’s a mistake or it’s crazy, that’s exactly the evidence that everyone needs to be watching right now, that something is absolutely wrong,” did he declare.

“The majority of us are exhausted by this nonsense. People who are far more concerned with preserving and protecting their power than protecting the American people.

You can check out more of Welker’s interviews with Phillips in the clip below.