Democrat Congressman encourages colleagues to challenge Biden in the 2024 primary

Rep. Dean Phillips said during an interview that he wants to see Biden "pass the torch" to new leaders.

Published: August 19, 2023 1:16pm

Minnesota Democrat Rep. Dean Phillips said in an interview that while he "adores" President Biden, he wants to see new leaders in the Democrat Party.

"I would like to see a moderate governor, hopefully from the heartland, from one of the four states that Democrats will need," Phillips said during an interview on NBC’s "Meet the Press."

He added that Biden should "pass the torch" to new leaders.

Phillips encouraged his colleagues to take a chance in the primary.

"Anybody who wants to run, Joe Manchin, Cornel West... that's why we have primaries because that doesn't undermine the likelihood of returning, in this case, a Democrat to the White House," he said, according to Fox News.

"I'm actively inviting, encouraging to some degree, imploring, that people who are ready and know it's probably time to do so take the chance," he continued.

Democrats running against Biden in the 2024 presidential primary include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson.