Former Rep. Dean Phillips reflects on 2024 presidential run: "I didn't see anything that others weren't ... I was just willing to say something about it."
Democrats are still struggling to deal with the GOP trifecta of power in Washington as Democrats search for a way out of the political wilderness.
Former Rep. Dean Phillips stands out as a cautionary tale.
For many Democrats, the 2024 presidential campaign is something they would rather forget. As whispers of then President Biden's fitness for the job circulated, Biden locked up the presidential primaries and vowed to run for a second term.
Only one Democrat broke with the leadership and ran against Biden: Phillips.
Phillips' lonely bid for the White House left him ostracized by his former colleagues.
"If this is vindication it sure doesn't feel that good," said Phillips. "And what I have told so many is that I am not a savant. I didn't see anything that others weren't seeing in Washington and around the country. I was just willing to say something about it."
Phillips staked all of his presidential campaign on New Hampshire but he lost the state's primary to Biden, 64% to 20%.
Both during and after his campaign, Phillips blasted fellow Democrats for not being honest with voters about the president's condition.
"It was jarring to me to see the president of the United States in such a diminished capacity," said Phillips.
Phillips was widely seen as a future Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate or governor from Minnesota, but in the aftermath of his presidential race, he has shrunk from the spotlight, giving up his congressional seat and spending more time at his home in suburban Washington.
When asked if he'd run again, Phillips said, "I served six years. I think service should be somewhat temporary. I never say never, but I am more focused now on reforming system."
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