New Hampshire: In a rare intra-party critique, U.S. President Joe Biden faced pointed criticism on Saturday from fellow Democrat Dean Phillips, a Minnesota Representative eyeing the Democratic nomination for the November presidential election. Despite their shared party affiliation, Phillips branded Biden as “weak” and “unelectable”.
Phillips asserted that this perception would solidify during the upcoming primary election in New Hampshire, setting around 20% of the votes as a noteworthy goal for his campaign. Addressing voters in Nashua, New Hampshire, he stated, “Unfortunately, it will demonstrate that our sitting president is weak and unelectable, and I believe it will show this country that it has a candidate who can actually do what has been promised over several generations.”
Expressing concerns about Biden’s age, Phillips, speaking to supporters at a nursing home in Nashua, emphasized that the 81-year-old president might be at a stage in life incompatible with leading the free world. “If you listen to the voters, you can hear that people think he’s at a stage in life that’s not compatible with being the leader of the free world,” he added.
Phillips drew a parallel with former President Donald Trump, aged 77, highlighting the challenges posed by their ages. Notably, both Biden and Trump’s ages are subjects of scrutiny in this political discourse.
It’s worth noting that since the introduction of the current primary election system in 1972, no incumbent president has lost a primary election. Apart from Dean Phillips, author Marianne Williamson has also entered the Democratic presidential nomination race, although both challengers are viewed as having slim chances against Biden.
