Biden’s Primary Challenger Warns President’s Polling Numbers Mean the U.S. Is ‘Facing an Emergency Next November’

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) launched a primary challenge against President Joe Biden this week, saying he is doing so in order to avoid an “emergency next November” with the possibility of Donald Trump regaining the White House.

Recent CBS News polling shows that the former president and Biden are neck and neck among registered voters in a general election matchup. Moreover, only a third of voters are confident Biden would finish a second term in office.

Phillips noted that Biden’s age is a major factor for voters in this upcoming election, claiming during an interview on CBS This Morning, “It’s time for a new generation.”

“I think President Biden has done a spectacular job for our country. But it’s not about the past. This is an election about the future,” the Democratic lawmaker told CBS’ Robert Costa. “I will not sit still. I will not be quiet in the face of numbers that are so clearly saying that we’re going to be facing an emergency next November.”

He added, “I think it’s time for a new generation. I think it’s time to pass the torch. And I say now. I think the time is now because I think four years from now it might be too late.”

Phillips is the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to run against Biden in his party’s 2024 primary. Other third-party candidates include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West who are both running as third-party candidates.

According to Real Clear Politics, Trump and Biden are nearly tied in a national polling average with the Republican frontrunner holding a slight lead over the president by 0.7%.

Watch the full clip above via CBS News.