Dean Phillips defends Biden as ‘decent man’ following special counsel report: ‘Sad day’

Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) defended President Biden as a “decent man” after a special counsel released a report this week which prompted an angry press conference from the President.

Phillips joined Fox News’ Jesse Watters for his “Primetime” show Friday, where he made his case for running against Biden in what has been seen as a long-shot bid.

“It was sad. You know, most patriotic Americans probably watched that press conference, saw a decent man and I want to really defend him. He is a decent man, and to have to get in front of the country and talk about his son Beau, defend himself from these charges, I thought it was a sad day,” Phillips said.

Special counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating Biden’s handling of classified documents, concluded his case this week. While Hur did not bring any charges against Biden, he said the president “willfully” retained the classified documents from his time as vice president.

Hur’s report also painted Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory.” The report said Biden did not remember when his son Beau had died.

Following the report’s release, Biden held an impromptu press conference where he said “how in the hell dare he” make the accusation that he doesn’t remember his son’s death.

Phillips argued that the buzz from Biden’s press conference and Hur’s report wouldn’t be happening if he were not running for president again.

“I respect him, but that’s the problem. And by the way, Donald Trump? Not that far behind him,” Phillips said, using a repeated talking point that both of the likely nominees are too old to represent the country.

“Seventy-seven percent of the country wants to move on from this chapter. We have two presidents — a former president, the current president, that frankly, people have lost faith in,” Phillips said.

The Minnesota Democrat, who announced he would not be running for reelection in the House because of his presidential bid, said he was the first Democrat in July 2022 to call for Biden to “pass the torch.”

“I think he should be putting both his own legacy and the country, most importantly, ahead,” he said. “And I think he’s making the decision for both by running again.”