Dean Phillips Responds to Rebuttal of Harris’ Comments

Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dean Phillips (Minn.) on Tuesday sought to clarify his recent remarks about Vice President Harris, saying he was simply stating what others have told him rather than expressing his own opinion.

Phillips received received for the comments he made in the Atlantic in which he said others had told him that Harris is not fit for the job of being president.

“I’ve heard from other people who know her a lot better than I do that a lot of people think she’s not well positioned,” Phillips said of Harris. “She is not well prepared, she does not have the right disposition and the right skills to carry out this position.”

He later added that in his personal experience, he “has not seen these deficiencies” and that he has enjoyed his interactions with Harris.

Asked Tuesday on “CNN NewsNight” if he agreed with that sentiment, Phillips said: “No, actually, what I said in that report, I hope you just articulated, is that this is what people told me.”

CNN anchor Abby Phillip asked the Minnesota Democrat why he would repeat what others have said if he has first-hand experience with the vice president.

“I didn’t articulate that clearly. He asked me that. Others have told the reporter in question,” Phillips responded. “What I’ve said is that when I’ve been around her, I’ve been impressed. She’s been kind; she’s been thoughtful and decent.”

“But what I’m trying to get across to Americans, whether it’s in relation to the age of the president or Vice President Harris’ standing among Americans, if the Democrats want to beat Donald Trump … it’s not about protecting people, but to protect the principle of democracy,” Phillips continued, adding that the Biden-Harris administration’s approval ratings show Americans “don’t want that ticket” in 2024.

Phillips went on to say that he “doesn’t remember saying those words.”

“I remember those words being shared with me and that’s what people have been saying,” Phillips said. “… I defend the vice president because I think she is a good person; I think she is well prepared, but I tell you that the country has a different opinion, and that is exactly what I said there.”

He added that he thinks President Biden is also a “good person,” but that the country doesn’t want him as the next president.

Pressed on whether he was implying that he didn’t think Harris should be Biden’s successor, Phillips replied, “No, you know what I’m actually saying and what I’ve said directly to a lot of people and I would actually tell her if she was right next to me: run. The water [is] warm, we live in a democracy.”

While he said he has not directly asked Harris to run for president, Phillips said he made calls to “certain candidates” who would not jump into the 2024 race.

Phillips launched a long-term presidential bid challenged Biden last month, claiming he is “not running in opposition” to the president, but rather to encourage the passing of the torch to a new generation of leaders. He has repeatedly pointed to Biden’s low approval numbers and advanced age, which is 81 as of this week.

Polls so far have shown low support for Phillips, who was not a well-known member of Congress before launching a bid for the White House. A Yahoo News/YouGov poll published last week showed that while more than half of Democrats i want to see another democrat challenge Biden, the incumbent, still held a comfortable lead with 64 percent saying they would support him. Phillips and author Marianne Williamson, Biden’s only Democratic challengers, received just 4% support.