Rep. Dean Phillips, who is considering challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, on Sunday suggested that the Hunter Biden probe has compromised the president’s image.
Speaking about the Justice Department’s probe of Biden’s son, Phillips said in an exclusive interview on “Meet the Press”: “I don’t think the President is corrupt. I think the investigation will show that.”
“But this is the important part: It’s the image, it’s what the news will do,” added Phillips, a member of the Democratic leadership team. “We know what era we live in — in partisanship. It is the attachment to the president, most people aren’t watching ‘Meet the Press’ every weekend.”
Phillips reiterated his belief that Biden shouldn’t run for re-election in 2024, but he also made clear that he respects the president. “It’s about how people feel. People want to turn the page. I think that’s fair to say,” he said.
“As a Democrat, I adore Joe Biden. He saved this country. He can cement his legacy,” Phillips continued. “My real call to action right now is not about me. The call to action is to ask the president to pass the torch.”
Asked by NBC News’ Chuck Todd who he would like to see challenge Biden, Phillips replied: “I would like to see a moderate governor, hopefully from the heartland, from one of the four states that Democrats will need.”
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Phillips’ remarks came days after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed David Weiss as special counsel in the ongoing probe of Hunter Biden.
Weiss, who was already overseeing the investigation, was announced as special counsel on Friday after he requested the title earlier last week.
Phillips has publicly stated his opposition to a second Biden term, joining a handful of other Democrats have openly called for a contested primary featuring younger candidates rather than handing the 2024 nomination to the 80-year-old Biden.
“I have respect for Joe Biden … despite some mistakes and some missteps, despite his age, I think he’s a man of decency, of good principle, of compassion, of empathy and of strength,” Phillips said last year in a radio interview on WCCO’s “The Chad Hartman Show.”
“But to answer your question directly, which I know is quite rare, Chad, no, I don’t,” he said. “I think the country would be well served by a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats to step up.”
The Minnesota Democrat recently met with donors in New York about his potential longshot primary challenge against Biden in 2024.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
