Biden’s Democratic rival takes gloves off and directly attacks Joe over controversial decision

Rep. Dean Phillips’s (D-MN) 2024 presidential campaign released an ad on Wednesday hitting President Joe Biden and his campaign for refusing to file for the historic first-in-the-nation primary after the Democratic National Committee moved to push South Carolina into the coveted role.

“For a century, New Hampshire has held the first-in-the-nation primary, and Granite Staters have faithfully carried out that grave responsibility, propelling the candidacies of some and ending the candidacies of others,” the 60-second spot tells viewers.

DECLINING SITUATION AT SOUTHERN BORDER UPS ANTE ON SENATE IMMIGRATION TALKS

The ad is a $250,000 buy and will run until Dec. 26 in the state, according to Politico.

“Now, Joe Biden has ordered New Hampshire to step aside,” the ad states, referring to the DNC’s controversial change to the primary calendar. “That’s not the New Hampshire way.”

“Congressman Dean Phillips is meeting with New Hampshire voters in diners, on street corners, and in taverns, the way it’s always been done,” the ad further highlights.

Phillips sees his long-shot candidacy’s path to the nomination as going straight through New Hampshire, seizing on the opportunity presented by Biden’s absence.

While Democrats in New Hampshire are upset with Biden and the DNC, a concerted effort to write Biden in during the primary next month has been underway since October and is being backed by many of the state’s most prominent Democrats. The write-in effort has stressed that voters in the primary view the stakes as too high for another former President Donald Trump term to hold a grudge against Biden and the DNC.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

However, some, such as former state House Speaker Steve Shurtleff, believe Biden will suffer partly due to the decision. “In some respects, the write-in campaign could backfire on the president,” said the New Hampshire Democrat who endorsed Phillips’s campaign.

“If he isn’t successful, it would really put them in a bad light coming out of New Hampshire,” he added.