Former congressman Dean Phillips argues that Zohran Mamdani is ‘a grave threat to Democrats around the country.’

It appears that former Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips is destined to play the role of the Jeff Goldblum character in Jurassic Park, pointing out to his fellow Democrats that the progressive wing of the party was so preoccupied with the question of whether they could propose and enact far-left policies that they never stopped to ask whether they should.

Phillips, appearing on CNN Wednesday:

I do agree with many of my younger colleagues who believe that we have too many members of both Congress and around the country who have been sitting in seats for too long. And as a Democrat, I believe strongly that we should have turnover. We should open opportunities for the best and brightest Americans who wish to serve. So, I do think some should not be primary necessarily, but should find it in themselves to step aside and make space for others. But Mamdani, as you have referenced just moments ago, is a grave threat to Democrats around the country. He could be the mayor of New York. I think that would be detrimental for the party. Anyone who talks about seizing the means of production or opening government-run grocery stores is at great odds with most of the country.

And I think Ritchie Torres, Hakeem Jeffries, Dan Goldman, they’re spot on. If you want to be a socialist or a Democratic socialist, then they should start a party. But for Democrats, it’s going to be a grave consequence in ’26 and I think beyond.

…if Democrats would just put up normal candidates right now, it’d be the best strategy imaginable. But when Democrats elevate people like Mamdani — and look at him. I do not know him. I can’t — I’m not going to disparage him personally, but I can tell you, based on what I’ve read about his positions, his platform, you know, it’s nonsensical to believe that America is looking for Democratic socialists around the country.

In urban America, in some cases, they may succeed. In my home city of Minneapolis, as you well know, the city council has moved far to the left, and that is creating challenges for Democrats and both parties.

You may recall Phillips running for president as a Democrat last cycle, not out of a vehement disagreement with most of Joe Biden’s policies, but arguing that Biden was just too old to serve another term. In December 2023, Phillips said, “we’re human beings, and I think it’s irresponsible for Americans to place in the White House presidents who are in their 80s. I think it’s wrong, I think it’s dangerous.”

For daring to observe that the doddering octogenarian Biden was not the same guy he used to be, Phillips endured, “a stunningly swift fall from grace and elicits a rare level of hostility from colleagues who elected him to House Democratic leadership just a year earlier.” Almost the entire Democratic party didn’t merely disagree with Phillips for saying it or wish he would keep his mouth shut; they hated him for saying it. Of course, one reason they hated him for saying it was because he was clearly, glaringly, painfully obviously correct.

Phillips’s short-lived long primary bid was hindered by the fact that the Democratic National Committee reorganized the primary schedule to protect Biden as much as possible and the Florida Democratic Party chose to simply cancel their primary last cycle.

So here we are in 2025, and once again, Phillips is looking at the elaborate plans of his party’s biggest thinkers and warning of an extremely likely outcome. Electing a male version of Alexandria Ocasio Cortez into the mayor’s office will make it much easier for Republicans to argue in future election cycles, “this is what the Democrats really want to do, in their heart of hearts, they’re pro-intifada communists.” It will also have terrible effects on the quality of life in New York City.

But judging from the most recent poll, New Yorkers appear convinced that electing a 33-year-old Communist who supports globalizing the intifada will work out as well as creating a theme park full of tyrannosaurus rexes and velociraptors.