The Democrat Party is notoriously secretive. But some aren’t willing to hide any longer.
And now this major Democrat in Congress just revealed his party’s inner secrets.
Outgoing Rep. Dean Phillips, a former Biden challenger, didn’t hold back in his sharp critique of the Democratic Party, calling it “rudderless” and “devoid of leadership” after President-elect Donald Trump’s 2024 victory.
Phillips (D-Minn.), 55, stressed that Democrats need to regroup and start listening to voters who have steadily drifted away from the party in recent election cycles.
“A party that consists of multiple silos and campaign committees and outside groups cannot strategically do its job, and that means leadership,” Phillips told Politico.
“Right now, we are totally devoid of leadership. We are rudderless.”
The Minnesota congressman lamented that the party’s leadership vacuum is so pronounced that he’s unsure whom his colleagues would even consider their leader. He emphasized the urgent need for a cohesive strategy to reclaim power in Washington.
“I think it’s ironic that the Republican Party is now representing America’s working class. It’s astounding, and that was ceded to them by people that have prioritized things like tenure over talent, identity politics over pragmatic problem solving,” Phillips said.
Phillips isn’t the only Democrat voicing frustration with the party’s entrenched ways. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) recently criticized the decision to choose Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.
“Within the Democratic Caucus, we are really stuck in our old ways of doing things, which is you get there by seniority,” Crockett told MSNBC. “I don’t think we fully sit there and say, ‘Who may be best equipped for this moment?’”
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) remains a towering figure in the party, even after stepping aside for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The 84-year-old is still seen as a powerbroker, playing behind-the-scenes roles during key moments, including Biden’s debate struggles and the battle over committee leadership.
“I admire to this very day Nancy Pelosi, but I even then said we need change,” Phillips reflected, noting he backed Jeffries from the start of his time in Congress. “To now see this bubbling of generational change is really gratifying and long, long overdue.”
Phillips, first elected during the 2018 “blue wave,” had steadily risen in the party, serving as co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. However, in late 2023, he defied party leadership to mount a primary challenge against Biden, citing concerns about the 82-year-old president’s age and electability.
Initially ridiculed by many Democrats, Phillips’ decision gained new resonance after Biden dropped out of the race in July, followed by Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat on November 5.
“That’s exactly why I did it. It’s the absence of the willingness to acknowledge reality,” Phillips said. “We have put Americans in this position where they have to wonder if what they’re seeing is real because members of Congress won’t even validate it.”
Phillips added, “If what I feel now is vindication, it’s awfully unsatisfying. I felt vindicated the day I announced my campaign, because I knew this was not an opinion. This was a fact. The fact was, he was not in a position to win.”
Biden, who would have been 86 at the end of a hypothetical second term, has reportedly told allies he believes he could have beaten Trump had he stayed in the race.
As for Phillips, he hasn’t ruled out a return to politics but says he has no immediate plans. For now, his focus remains on urging Democrats to confront their internal challenges and chart a path forward.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
