Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) expressed his satisfaction when President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race on July 21.
Phillips, who briefly ran a campaign against Biden, primarily questioning his age and fitness for another term, stated that he was pleased to have accomplished his “fundamental mission.”
According to Phillips, if Biden had remained in the race, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) would have been a challenging event for the party’s candidate. Instead, he believes that the Chicago convention will mark the “rebirth of a party.”
“My mission was to inspire the very energy that’s palpable in this building,” Phillips told The Epoch Times at the DNC on Aug. 20.
The Minnesota congressman explained that he initiated his unsanctioned presidential bid to draw attention to what he perceived as Biden’s inability to defeat former President Donald Trump in the 2024 general election. Following pressure after a debate with Trump, Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement.
“Do I wish it had been done in a way that would have promoted competition and inspired it? Of course. But I’m pleased that it happened,” said Phillips. “It doesn’t happen much in human history, where those that have great power electively forgo it, whether by pressure or by personal decisions.”
In spite of his intention to disrupt conventional politics, Phillips claimed not to be an outcast at the DNC.