Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), one of President Joe Biden’s primary challengers, has admitted that the Democrats’ lawfare tactics have “backfired.”
In a new interview with CNN’s Manu Raju, Phillips conceded that the “hush money” case against President Donald Trump in New York has “backfired” on the Democrats who hoped the case would be their “salvation.”
Phillips also appeared to be referencing New York Attorney General Letitia James’s civil “fraud” trial against Trump, which concluded earlier this year.
“I think the New York cases, if anything, may have backfired against those who thought that it would be the salvation,” Phillips told Raju.
“But I don’t think the New York cases are exactly what Democrats were hoping they would be.”
Closing arguments are expected this week in Trump’s New York “hush money” case, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.
The prosecution has failed to provide any evidence tying Trump to any such payments during the trial, however.
Phillips launched an unsuccessful primary challenge against President Biden late last year.
The Democrat congressman ended up dropping out of