Biden challenger Dean Phillips says everyone can see president's 'decline' after special counsel report
Phillips said of Biden: 'I think it's a shame. I think it's embarrassing'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips said Friday that President Biden's "decline" was clear after Special Counsel Robert Hur's report found that Biden was struggling to remember basic events in his life.
The report outlined instances where Biden had a difficult time remembering key details and events, including when he served as vice president and the exact date his son, Beau, died.
"Anybody who has their eyes open can see what's going on," Phillips said of Biden. "I think it's a shame. I think it's embarrassing. And I think it's sad. And I think it's a shame for a president who could cement a legacy, pass the torch and do what's best for the country. It's not just about him."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips said Friday that President Biden's "decline" was clear after Special Counsel Robert Hur's report found that Biden was struggling to remember basic events in his life. (Getty Images)
"I'm trying to encourage center-right and center-left Americans, Brian, to join together the exhausted majority and get our act together because we are increasingly looking like a laughingstock around the world," Phillips told Fox News' Brian Kilmeade.
"[W]e all see with our own eyes his speeches and the decline. He's an 81-year-old man," Phillips said, adding that Biden would serve until 2029 if he were re-elected.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Minnesota congressman's longshot primary challenge to Biden has irked some members of the party, but he's yet to resonate in any meaningful way. In this week's South Carolina Democratic primary, Biden took 96 percent of the vote, while Phillips finished third behind him and Marianne Williamson with a mere 1.7 percent.
Phillips told Kilmeade that both former President Trump and Biden are too old to serve as president.
"I know most Americans feel the same," Phillips said. "What I'm troubled by is a political system, a duopoly that is increasingly only elevating people who are not well appreciated."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Phillips, who has criticized the media before for not giving him airtime, said that it was important for major outlets to help people "wake up" to Biden's failing political chances.
"If people don't wake up soon, we're going to have a real, real problem," Phillips said, arguing that "when millions of people get their news from a single source, that determines what people are saying."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Phillips, who has criticized the media before for not giving him airtime, said that it was important for major outlets to help people "wake up" to Biden's failing political chances. (Photographer: Jacquelyn Martin/AP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"Look at approval numbers, the lowest in presidential history," he continued. "President Biden is 20 points below Jimmy Carter in January of 1980. He's five points below former President Trump at the same stage. Every poll shows him losing in battlegrounds. I come from the business world, Brian, but I cannot imagine that politicians don't eventually open their eyes to the truth based on the data. It's only going to get worse. I don't think yesterday is going to improve the president's standing."
Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.