While trying to downplay Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips’s chances against President Biden in the Democratic primary as “a long shot,” CNN This Morning engaged in attacks fit for a serious challenger. In the first hour of the show, they hinted that Phillips might be a racist because he didn’t go around to kiss the rings of the racial special interest groups that supposedly represented the Democratic Party base. And in the third hour, that narrative gave way to openly worrying about him harming Biden’s brand with attack ads.
CNN anchor and chief national affairs analyst Kasie Hunt did a sit-down interview with Phillips. But before she played any soundbite, she wanted it known that “the White House doesn't view Phillips’ challenge as a serious one that's going to ultimately result in him winning the nomination. Neither do most Democrats in Washington.”
This was followed up with a clip of Hunt sparing with Phillips because he dared to compare Biden’s low approval rating with that of former President Jimmie Carter. Hunt shot back that Carter beat his Democratic challenger, Ted Kennedy, but Phillips noted the final result of the general election (click “expand”):
PHILLIPS: His approval numbers are historically low. Rivaling only Jimmy Carter, who got slaughtered, of course, in that election. And that people need to know.
HUNT: Jimmie Carter also had a Democratic primary challenger.
PHILLIPS: Yeah, and he had a Democratic primary challenger because he was going to get slaughtered in the election. It's the same circumstance again. Ted Kennedy did not cause Carter's problems. I did not cause President Biden's problems.
Co-host Poppy Harlow teed up Hunt to dip into the liberal media’s sleazy playbook and launch into thinly veiled accusations of racism against Phillips:
HARLOW: I thought your exchange with him, Kasie, over black voters, and the not just black voters, key coalitions in the Democratic Party, was really telling.
HUNT: Yeah. I'm really glad Errol is here. When I learned about that because he's obviously gone back and forth with Jim Clyburn. Because Clyburn supported this move to have the first primary go to South Carolina. He said it was disrespectful of black voters the way Phillips is going about his campaign. And I think we should just note that trying to win a Democratic nomination without the help of some of these critical groups is, I think, next to impossible.
Following a clip of Phillips defending himself, Hunt boasted that she asked him if he kissing the rings of Democratic Party power brokers and race hustlers: “I asked him specifically: did you reach out to the Congressional Black Caucus, to the NAACP, to the Urban League ahead of your bid or since you announced your running and the answer was ‘No.’”
CNN political commentator Errol Louis huffed that Phillips wasn’t just ignoring the racial radicals of the Democratic Party, he was ignoring the other radical elements. “What is it he's trying to do? There are other parts of the Democratic base, which is ultimately a cluster of coalitions that could also see they feel disrespected. Did he reach out to the environmentalists? Did he reach out to the women's movement? Did he reach out to the labor movement?” he huffed.
Louis went on to suggest Phillips was only trying “to raise his profile to maybe end up with some kind of consulting gig or something like that when the smoke clears.”
In the third hour of the show, co-host Phil Mattingly scoffed at Phillips associating his campaign with the word “courage.” “Well, Phil, never be surprised by how someone who thinks that they should be president can believe that they can be president,” Hunt jabbed.
Hey Kasie, you should tell that to Hillary Clinton.
“But I will say, Dean Phillips has had a really rude awakening in the last two weeks. I mean, Democrats have all but thrown him out of the party over this,” she touted.
Hunt proceeded to voice Democratic insider concerns that Phillips would “damage the President in a race where recent polls show Biden losing to Trump.” She also fretted that Phillips was planning to “welcome outside sport from super PACS. That could mean millions of dollars in ads criticizing Biden in swing states like Michigan.”
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
CNN This Morning
November 13, 2023
6:35:52 a.m. EasternPHIL MATTINGLY: Kasie. Moving to the ore side of the aisle. You had to sit down with Dean Phillips, who’s now challenging President Biden; had some pretty strong words about his election prospects – President Biden’s election prospects. What did he tell you?
KASIE HUNT: Yeah, I mean, we should note that the White House doesn't view Phillips’ challenge as a serious one that's going to ultimately result in him winning the nomination. Neither do most Democrats in Washington.
But there's no question that someone in your own party attacking you on the things that voters tell us in polls are your weaknesses is not great. And when I talked to Dean Phillips in New Hampshire over the weekend, it's clear he's angry about the attacks Democrats have been made on him since he announced. And instead of retreating he's escalating.
Take a look at what he to say about the president.
[Cuts to video]
REP. DEAN PHILLIPS (D-MN): He's a good man. I respect him. He did a good job. But what I do want and what the country needs is the truth, which is every single poll – national poll he’s down five to nine points, in battleground states, he’s losing five of six of the battleground states. His approval numbers are historically low. Rivaling only Jimmy Carter, who got slaughtered, of course, in that election. And that people need to know.
HUNT: Jimmie Carter also had a Democratic primary challenger.
PHILLIPS: Yeah, and he had a Democratic primary challenger because he was going to get slaughtered in the election. It's the same circumstance again. Ted Kennedy did not cause Carter's problems. I did not cause President Biden's problems.
[Cuts back to live]
HUNT: So some pretty tough words there, Phil. And you know, the thing is he's campaigning a lot in New Hampshire, which – I was talking a lot with Michael LaRosa, who used to work for the Biden administration earlier in the morning. I mean, he called it an unforced error that Democrats moved the first in the nation primary out of New Hampshire to South Carolina, which means Biden is the first ever president –Democratic candidate not to be on a New Hampshire ballot. They’re going to have to mount a write-in campaign.
And as you know, having covered a lot of these campaigns, New Hampshire can be a narrative game changer. So, it's not free of risk for the President.
POPPY HARLOW: I thought your exchange with him, Kasie, over black voters, and the not just black voters, key coalitions in the Democratic Party, was really telling.
HUNT: Yeah. I'm really glad Errol is here. When I learned about that because he's obviously gone back and forth with Jim Clyburn. Because Clyburn supported this move to have the first primary go to South Carolina. He said it was disrespectful of black voters the way Phillips is going about his campaign. And I think we should just note that trying to win a Democratic nomination without the help of some of these critical groups is, I think, next to impossible. Although, Errol, I want to hear what you think.
Let's take a look at how Phillips answered this question.
[Cuts to video]
PHILLIPS: First of all, if it he feels I have disrespected anybody, I apologize. But if it's because I was in New Hampshire speaking with voters here that that was disrespectful to black voters, I take exception to that. Because when had I'm in South Carolina shortly visiting with black voters, that's not disrespectful to Muslim voters in Michigan. I'm so sickened by what both parties are doing to this country only to win elections. And that breaks my heart. I'm disappointed.
[Cuts back to live]
HUNT: So, we didn't actually include the part where I asked him specifically: did you reach out to the Congressional Black Caucus, to the NAACP, to the Urban League ahead of your bid or since you announced your running and the answer was “no.”
ERROL LOUIS: Right. Which raises the question of: what is it he's trying to do? There are other parts of the Democratic base, which is ultimately a cluster of coalitions that could also saw they feel disrespected. Did he reach out to the environmentalists? Did he reach out to the women's movement? Did he reach out to the labor movement? Is he connected to what makes up the base of the Democratic Party?
If he's not, you have to ask what is he in this for and how is he supposed to turn around these numbers that are supposed to be so damning? And then secondly, of course, if it's about the polling numbers that look bad, depending on which poll you're looking at for the President, what about him? He's almost nonexistent in the national polls. Does that mean anything at all?
I mean, I'm not sure what Dean Phillips is up to, but like many politicians, of course, he has the right to run, to raise his profile to maybe end up with some kind of consulting gig or something like that when the smoke clears. But to say that it's okay to just run and ignore all of the many groups and social movements and political movements that make up the base of the Democratic Party and have for over half a century, that doesn't sound like somebody who is ready for the national stage.
(…)
8:28:43 a.m. Eastern
MATTINGLY: Phillips says he's likely torpedoed his own politically career, but adds the President is in grave danger of losing to Trump next year, so someone with, quote, “courage,” had to step up.
CNN’s Kasie Hunt joins us now. Kasie, you sat down with him. I guess my biggest question beyond why, is, what do you think his chances are at this point?
HUNT: Well, Phil, never be surprised by how someone who thinks that they should be president can believe that they can be president. But I will say, Dean Phillips has had a really rude awakening in the last two weeks. I mean, Democrats have all but thrown him out of the party over this. But in response, Phillips isn't backing down. He's pressing ahead.
[Cuts to video]
Dean Phillips is a long shot.
DEAN PHILLIPS: I'm congressman Phillips and I'm running for president.
HUNT: A little-known Minnesota congressman, air to a multimillion-dollar schnapps fortune, willing to invest that fortune take on an unpopular president who he says cannot beat Donald Trump.
PHILLIPS: I think in 2020 he was probably the only Democrat who could have beaten Donald Trump. And I think in 2024, he may be among the only ones who will lose to him. And that's why I'm doing this.
HUNT: Do you have a top dollar figure that you're willing to invest?
PHILLIPS: No, because this is so important.
HUNT: Phillips has escalated his attacks on Biden since he launched his campaign just over two weeks ago in New Hampshire.
PHILLIPS: Bidenomics is not working. It is actually the opposite. It represents inflation, high prices.
HUNT: Phillips is defiant, after Democrats rejected him, threatening to primary him, leaving his leadership post in the House amid criticism from colleagues.
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): Everyone's got the right to run, but I'm sorry, I have no idea what he is running on that is different from what President Biden is running on.
HUNT: You believe you've torpedoed your own career?
PHILLIPS: I think if you listen to the conventional wisdom, based on the response of the Democratic Party, I think that's fair to say.
HUNT: Most Democrats don't believe Phillips can win the nomination, but there’s worry he'll damage the President in a race where recent polls show Biden losing to Trump. And Phillips told CNN, he'll welcome outside sport from super PACS. That could mean millions of dollars in ads criticizing Biden in swing states like Michigan.
(…)
