Former Rep. Dean Phillips is making waves within his party after publicly accusing Democratic Party leaders of obscuring then-President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline ahead of the 2024 election.

In a sharply worded op-ed, Phillips claimed party officials misled voters about Biden’s health, ignored internal concerns, and actively resisted efforts to present alternative candidates in the Democratic primary, as Fox News reports.

In the op-ed published Thursday by The Free Press, Phillips sharply criticized top party figures for prioritizing political survival over transparency. He described party leaders as engaging in dishonesty and deception about Biden’s mental state, which he said severely harmed public trust in Democratic Party institutions.

Phillips cited personal experiences from 2021 and 2022, when he had close interactions with then-President Biden during caucus meetings and flights aboard Air Force One. According to Phillips, Biden’s struggles with speech clarity, physical movement, and command during those moments raised immediate alarm.

One such turning point, according to Phillips, came in December 2022 during a White House holiday event. He said Biden’s condition at the party was so pronounced that he concluded the president should not serve another term.

Congressional insiders expressed private concern

The former congressman asserted that other lawmakers held similar concerns but chose to remain silent. According to Phillips, while many Democratic colleagues quietly acknowledged the president’s limitations, they lacked the willingness to publicly address what he saw as a growing crisis.

Attempting to prompt a shift in leadership, Phillips said he contacted figures such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and Vice President Kamala Harris, urging them to consider running for president. None of them responded by entering the race.

Unable to find a contender willing to challenge Biden, Phillips announced his campaign for the presidency. His main objective, he said, was not personal ambition but to open up the Democratic Party primary process and push for at least one public debate.

Phillips lets loose

After he declared his candidacy, Phillips claimed the party establishment moved swiftly to shut him out. He recounted being told by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ chief of staff that he would lose access to both then-President Biden and White House officials.

He also described what he viewed as an orchestrated media blackout, particularly pointing to MSNBC. According to Phillips, former aides from Biden’s team played roles in sidelining his campaign within influential media platforms.

In addition to media challenges, Phillips said he faced aggressive attacks on social media from party supporters, both paid and grassroots activists. He described the attacks as part of a wider effort to discredit and isolate him.

Fighting his own party

Phillips accused the Democratic National Committee of limiting ballot access for non-incumbent candidates, which he said prompted him to file multiple lawsuits. He argued that such actions reflected a broader campaign to suppress primary competition.

Calling the strategy “a coordinated fight against democracy,” Phillips criticized the DNC for operating as an unaccountable corporation, rather than a transparent political institution responsive to voters.

He added that deceptive reassurance from Biden’s family and advisers helped convince the president that he remained well-positioned to win, worsening the problem instead of addressing it directly.

Debate collapse cited as breaking point

Phillips pointed to the June 2024 debate as proof that the campaign’s strategy of tight control failed. According to him, Biden’s performance there, which lacked scripting and preparation, exposed the reality that party leaders had worked hard to conceal.

Months of pre-recorded speeches and interviews had shielded the public, Phillips claimed, until the live debate unveiled the extent of the issue. He said the campaign "crumbled in the most humiliating way” following the debate.

Despite the contentious nature of his criticisms, Phillips offered a path forward. He urged fellow Democrats to be forthright about what had occurred, stating the party could rebuild its credibility if leaders acknowledged past missteps and told the full truth about Biden’s condition.

“No more evasions,” he wrote. “Democratic leaders need to recognize that openness is the only route to regaining voter confidence.”