Unveiling Dean Phillips' Intense and Growing Criticism of Joe Biden's Campaign

Dean Phillips began his unlikely Democratic primary campaign with the goal of supporting President Joe Biden and avoiding any negative comments about him. He aspired to be a voice for the mainstream and appealed to a new generation seeking change.

During his recent visit to New Hampshire, which was mostly funded by himself, the congressman from Minnesota expressed concerns about Biden's physical capabilities. He also criticized the president as a threat to democracy, making comments that are fueling right-wing media and Donald Trump. Additionally, Phillips shifted his stance to the left, moving away from his own voting record.

Phillips expresses deep shock at what he perceives as Biden's misguided threat to democracy by running despite the possibility of losing. He also admits to feeling disillusioned by the president's inability to campaign effectively and by the Democratic establishment working against the interests of the people.

Biden's success in polls is likened to the boy in "The Emperor's New Clothes," but Phillips' campaign continues to struggle, with Florida and North Carolina Democrats canceling their primaries, and Steve Schmidt departing the campaign. Schmidt's super PAC will now support candidates outside of the White House race.

Phillips is actively traveling around New Hampshire, speaking to small crowds, while his busy staffers are facing constant challenges. One of them expressed in a text last week, "I was hired and immediately had to handle ten urgent issues, and every day feels the same."

At the same time, the co-founder of the moderate Problem Solvers Caucus, backed by No Labels, is running a campaign supporting "Medicare for All" even though he will not support the bill in Congress and has disagreements with some of its key provisions.

Biden's advisers see Phillips as the only alternative to address voter doubts and media criticism, proving that his support runs deeper and wider than data or insiders acknowledge. However, others, including Democratic leaders who were once hesitant about Biden's candidacy and are now hosting fundraisers for him, view Phillips' self-funded "journey" as a selfish exercise during a critical time for Biden and the country.

Phillips attributes his decision to no longer consider himself as bolstering the president to Biden's choice not to confront him during the campaign.

Phillips argued that Biden's weakness existed before he entered the race. Exposing him now would be a service to the Democratic Party, given that he would face even greater scrutiny if he becomes the nominee. Phillips claimed that Biden would not be able to handle the rigorous campaigning and hinted that the president may have been involved in the decisions made by the Florida and North Carolina state Democratic parties to cancel their primaries and award their delegates to Biden.

Phillips also maintains that the Biden team must have conducted polls to gauge his performance against the president.

T.J. Ducklo, senior advisor for communications for the Biden campaign, provided brief answers to Phillips during their interaction. When asked about concern over Phillips drawing substantial support in New Hampshire and potentially forcing Biden to drop out, Ducklo simply responded, "No."

A shifting agenda from a mash-up campaign

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving in South Carolina, the audience was enticed with $50 gift cards to stay for the duration of Phillips' speech. Meanwhile, in New Hampshire last week, two individuals who expressed interest in his message admitted to never having heard of him prior to receiving a mass text just an hour before his appearance. Despite initially refusing to conduct his own polling, Phillips is now relying on data from focus groups organized by a new super PAC established for him by an individual whose primary occupation involves creating human embryos from stem cells. While Phillips initiated his campaign early with TV advertisements, there has been a notable absence of airtime in recent weeks. Additionally, several key staff members are still located in New York City.

He is accompanied by private security guards wearing earpieces, who communicate his every move at small events. One guard even found time to enjoy a cheese plate while the candidate spoke to reporters at a house party in Amherst, New Hampshire, last week.

Following Schmidt's departure, senior advisers from both Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and entrepreneur Andrew Yang's team joined, bringing a mix of campaign veterans and some staffers from Minnesota's Phillips campaign.

Phillips envisions a "team of rivals" administration and emphasizes the need for increased security due to threats he has received. He criticizes Biden's approach to affordability and economic policies but stands by his previous votes. Phillips now calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing the need to prioritize the release of hostages and criticizes Biden for not addressing American citizens being held. Additionally, he advocates for addressing marijuana laws and suggests Biden should smoke a joint himself, unaware of Biden's recent actions on federal possession convictions and drug rescheduling.

Before deciding to run for Congress, Phillips served as the chairman of the board of a healthcare nonprofit. This organization was later investigated for denying care to individuals with overdue medical bills, a practice that had begun during his tenure. Phillips claims he was unaware of the situation and refers to his time on the board as his initial realization of how flawed the healthcare model was.

Phillips initially considered supporting Medicare for All before announcing his campaign. He mentions a meeting with Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where they discussed the issue. However, Phillips has since stated that he does not support the abolishment of private insurance companies. Instead, he envisions a system similar to the public education system, providing baseline care for every American.

His views on the topic have evolved with specific markers, such as gaining knowledge about the inner workings of nonprofits, his daughter's successful battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and the financial constraints of providing healthcare for employees at his previous coffee shops. He also mentions that his time in Congress has led to significant learning and growth. He rejects the notion that his support for policies like Medicare for All and free college tuition are merely strategic decisions. Similarly, Phillips claims that his endorsement of universal basic income, a policy central to Andrew Yang's 2020 presidential campaign, has been influenced by his realization of the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy. Although Yang has expressed support for Phillips, he explained that their discussions mostly revolved around campaign finance reform during their meeting in Washington last year.

Dreaming of chasing Biden out like LBJ in 1968

Phillips initially stated that he would evaluate his campaign following the Super Tuesday primaries in March, but has since shifted his focus to June. He hopes to mimic Eugene McCarthy's success in forcing Johnson out of the race after nearly winning the New Hampshire primary in 1968. Now with the primaries happening much earlier, if Biden were to exit the race, the nomination would be left in the hands of a few hundred convention delegates, similar to the process that led to Hubert Humphrey's nomination in 1968 despite not having won a single primary. It's important to note that Robert F. Kennedy did not receive the nomination, as he was assassinated after entering the race days after the New Hampshire primary.

Both McCarthy and Humphrey, as Phillips pointed out, were both from Minnesota. Campaign advisers have internally set a benchmark for success at 42% in New Hampshire - the same percentage McCarthy received. Since he is not on the Nevada ballot and intends to skip South Carolina, he will head straight to campaigning in Michigan.

Biden will not appear on the ballot in New Hampshire, as the state has refused to adhere to his directive to rearrange the Democratic National Committee's primary calendar. As a result, the primary will not allocate delegates in the usual manner. However, a group of local insiders has organized a write-in campaign on Biden's behalf, with the support of prominent national Democrats.

Phillips' chances of reaching 42% or even winning were dismissed by former state representative and write-in organizer Jim Demers, who said, "I don't know that it means a lot, but I suppose anything's possible. He's going to have to continue to unload a lot of his money."

Phillips has also emphasized that he is a super delegate himself, stating, "and the last thing they want is me on the stage in Chicago telling the truth," he told a group of two dozen people, including the grandson of Grover Cleveland, gathered in the top floor loft of a small coffee shop in North Conway, New Hampshire.

Are you ready for change?

Phillips' go-to question when engaging with voters is, "Are you prepared for change?" The response is consistently affirmative, especially when he navigates the conversation toward concerns about Biden's age and the possibility of the president losing to Trump, which tends to generate anxiety.

Evalyn Merrick, a former state representative, stopped Phillips on the street in North Conway. She mentioned that she had seen the news of Biden saying he might not have run if Trump weren't in the race, and wondered aloud, "What might happen if he reconsidered running right now?"

"It's not too late," Phillips added, nudging him gently.

She picked up a button and expressed her interest. Merrick later told CNN that despite Phillip's departure, the decision is difficult, but the implications for Biden from Trump's actions are evident, regardless of what she had just heard.

CNNs Alison Main contributed to this story.