As the national press begins to focus on Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and just how Joe Biden's lone challenger in the New Hampshire primary will perform Tuesday, Phillips made clear Monday night he is fed up with questions about whether he will run as a third-party candidate.
At his headquarters in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, reporters repeatedly asked Phillips whether he would support a third-party candidate for president — even though the multi-millionaire congressman has long ruled out option. At one point, he was asked if he would "dissuade a third-party candidate from running if it is someone like [Maryland's moderate former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan?"
"I just hoped you would ask a question about what people really care about," snapped a visibly irritated Phillips. "It's just a simple request. I've been here 90 days and you know how many people have asked me the type of questions you just asked me now? Not one. They asked me about the cost of living, food and fuel, asked me about health care, Social Security, veterans benefits, all of these things, education."
By now clearly upset, Phillips admonished the reporters: "Gosh darn it. Help me out on all of this. Please understand what the heck is going on here. All this focus [on a third-party candidate] — this is not what people care about right now."
Calming down, he told the reporter: "I'll answer your question, but I'm getting sick of it."
"The answer to your question is this: I've already asked [prospective third-party candidates] Cornel West, Jill Stein, and RFK Jr., to come into the Democratic primaries and unify because we have to get behind someone who can beat Donald Trump. I've said 18,000 times that all I want to do is defeat Donald Trump. No one seems to want to do this in the Democratic Party right now … as for Joe Biden, the data says he can't."
Phillips again underscored his view that, "no one in the country cares about this. In fact, most of the people are going to the Trump rally right now because he is listening to them. It's frustrating, and I'm getting tired of this stuff. I know you're doing your jobs, but you are not asking the questions Americans give a s*** about."
The press briefing was then ended by his campaign manager and Phillips quickly departed.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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