After Biden gained 96% of the vote within the South Carolina major, presidential contender Dean Phillips says Democrats ought to ‘get up’ and transfer on

• Biden gained the South Carolina Democratic major on Saturday, capturing over 96% of the vote.

• However major challenger Dean Phillips on Sunday stated that warning indicators stay for Biden.

• “He ought to have handed the torch,” Phillips stated of Biden’s 2024 reelection bid.

President Joe Biden on Saturday swept the South Carolina Democratic major, winning over 96% of the vote and dominating intraparty rivals Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips.

However regardless of Biden’s large win, Phillips during a Sunday appearance on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” continued to insist that Biden will not be your best option for Democrats and stated the president ought to have “handed the torch” to a brand new era of leaders.

“People are actually struggling proper now. 60% residing paycheck to paycheck, 40% haven’t got $400 within the financial institution,” Phillips stated. “And right here now we have the president in our occasion saying GDP development is up, job development is nice. Individuals are annoyed and they’re fearful they usually’re seeing wars all over the world.”

“I respect Joe Biden. He ought to have handed the torch,” the Minnesota congressman continued. “This was not a mission for me. However somebody had to do that.”

Phillips then stated that regardless of Biden’s overwhelming victory in South Carolina, the president remained susceptible in opposition to former President Donald Trump, pointing to the slew of competitive national polls — and swing state polls — that present the previous president main in key battlegrounds that would determine the race for the White Home in November.

“Jimmy Carter was at 58% in January of 1980,” Phillips stated as he referenced the previous Democratic president’s standing earlier than he finally misplaced reelection later that yr. “Joe Biden’s at 38%. I am simply attempting to get up our occasion.”

“We’re the Progressive Social gathering. We must be transferring ahead. I see the writing on the wall,” he added.

Phillips announced his long shot candidacy final October however has up to now been unable to realize traction within the contest regardless of Biden’s polling struggles over the past yr. The congressman has additionally taken warmth from fellow Democrats like Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who in December derided his presidential marketing campaign as “a dream for Trump.”

On Saturday, Phillips gained lower than 2% of the vote within the South Carolina Democratic major, coming in third place behind Williamson.

A lot of Phillips’ Home Democratic colleagues stay puzzled by his candidacy and have turn out to be overtly crucial of the first problem in opposition to Biden, who’s prone to be locked in a extremely aggressive rematch in opposition to Trump this fall.

“I feel it is extra of a joke at this level,” Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost recently told Business Insider’s Bryan Metzger of Phillips’ candidacy. “He would not have the assets to be tremendous aggressive.”

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