Topic: Newsmax
While it was hyping Robert Kennedy Jr.'s would-be Democratic presidential campaign, Newsmax was also touting another Democrat with the same goal of disrupting President Biden's re-election. It actually began with a July 2022 article by Jeffrey Rodack repeating how Dean "said he doesn’t want President Joe Biden to run again in 2024," then picked more steam over the past summer. Charles Kim wrote in a July 29 article:
Democratic donors are urging a moderate congressman from Minnesota to challenge President Joe Biden in the 2024 primary.
Politico reported Friday that third-term Rep. Dean Phillips, who represents a suburban district of Minneapolis, is being urged by donors to enter the Democratic primary field for 2024.
The report said that Phillips, 54, is scheduled to meet with donors in New York City next week to explore the possibility of entering the 2024 race.
[...]
But despite Phillips' scheduled meeting and his donors' interest, he "is highly unlikely to mount a primary challenge unless Biden's health worsens or his political standing drops precipitously," Politico reported.
The apparently unironically named Charlie McCarthy touted Phillips' would-be campaign in an Aug. 13 article:
A Democrat [sic] lawmaker says President Joe Biden should not run for reelection.
Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., appeared Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" and said he wants Biden to end his campaign for the 2024 Democrat [sic] presidential nomination.
He says his opinion is based on "how people feel" and not based on the 80-year-old president's age.
"I would like to see Joe Biden, a wonderful and remarkable man, pass the torch — cement this extraordinary legacy," Phillips said.
"And by the way, this is not how everybody thinks, but I do believe the majority wants to move on."
Phillips previously called on other Democrats to challenge Biden. He has not committed to running himself.
As Phillips did, in fact, prepare to run himself, Newsmax touted that too:
- Rep. Dean Phillips Mulling Primary Challenge to Biden
- Dem Rep. Phillips Stepping From Leadership Over Biden Warnings (wire article)
- Report: Rep. Dean Phillips to Challenge Biden in Dem Primaries
- Dean Phillips to File Dem Presidential Bid in NH Friday
As Newsmax wound down its promotion of Kennedy after he moved from running a Democrat to an independent, Phillips conveniently replaced him in that spoiler-wannabe space. It published two wire articles on his Oct. 27 candidacy declaration, and it continued to run a mix of mostly original articles on him:
- Candidate Dean Phillips On Israel-Hamas Divide
- Dem Rep. Dean Phillips Slams Biden on Hostage Deal
- Dem Presidential Contender Phillips Won't Run for Reelection (to his House seat)
- Dem Presidential Candidate Says Bidenomics 'Misguided'
- Rep. Phillips Fighting Ballot Omission in 3 States
- Rep. Phillips: Impeachment Inquiry Stains Biden
- Dem Rival Dean Phillips Attacks Biden for Downgrading N.H.
There was also a Nov. 23 article by Theodore Bunker noting that Phillips "issued an apology this week after he repeated criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris while attempting to defend her."
Missing from all this, however, is any reference to an appearance by Dean on Newsmax TV -- it seems that Phillips is not putting a lot of time into catering to right-wing media in order to boost his campaign, presumably because he understands he's only being used by them as a proxy to attack Biden an d they will never support him in the general election should he actually win the nomination. Kennedy, by contrast, did numerous interviews with Newsmax and was even featured in a cover story in its magazne despite that being the case.
