Ex-Biden challenger Dean Phillips says he'd accept invite to serve in Democrat or GOP administration

CHICAGO — The sole Democrat who ran against President Biden during the 2024 Democratic primary, Rep. Dean Phillips, said he would accept an invitation to serve in either a Democratic or Republican administration, telling Fox News Digital he aspires to "help this country in some way, shape or form." 

Phillips, D-Minn., spoke to Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 

Phillips, a three-term congressman, launched an uphill challenge against Biden in the Democratic primary but suspended his campaign in March. 

"I didn’t want to run this cycle. I spent two years trying to call attention to something I was seeing clearly with my own eyes," he said. "I remember my Republican buddies excoriating Donald Trump quietly behind closed doors and then praising him in front of cameras. I saw my Democratic colleagues doing the same thing about Joe Biden, who we knew was in decline, probably going to lose." 

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Rep. Dean Phillips, right, said he would accept an invitation to serve in either a Democratic or Republican administration. (Getty Images)

Phillips said he "didn’t want to do it," but told Fox News Digital "it became evident that our political culture punishes courage, rewards cowardice and silence." 

"Someone had to do it. In two weeks, I put together a campaign to run for president," he said. "But the message was to try to be a Paul Revere — not a George Washington. It took someone to hand over power, like Joe Biden did, to really make it happen." 

He added, "I’m glad he did. And the rest may be history." 

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When asked if he had aspirations to run for president again in the future, Phillips said he just aspires "to help this country in some way, shape or form." 

"This was not about running for president. This was about showing people that it is never too late, and you should sit up and stand up and do something when you feel that something is wrong. And I did that," he said. 

"If there is a way to serve my country in a Democratic administration — in a Republican administration — my goodness, we should all stand up and accept that invitation whenever it is issued," he told Fox News Digital. "So, you never know."

However, Phillips told Fox News Digital that policy is critical.  

President Biden stands with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and first lady Jill Biden during the first day of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

"Americans remember how they feel. They remember how they feel. They want to feel excited, safe, joyful, optimistic and a lot of that results from policy," he said. 

"As it relates to policy, yeah, we have a border crisis. I’ve seen it twice with my own eyes. We also have to be a welcoming country, as Ronald Reagan would say," Phillips said. "We have to be a country that has an economy that works for people. Sixty percent of people are living paycheck to paycheck. It doesn’t matter what party you are — we failed a lot of people. Our healthcare system is a mess. This is America." 

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However, Phillips said politicians need to stop the infighting. 

"As long as we keep spending all of our time fighting, we’re never going to spend our time developing better ideas," he said. "And that’s my call to action for my colleagues in Congress and for Americans. We’re not going to solve problems by beating ourselves up."