Former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang had no issues sharing his criticism of President Joe Biden or his former party Saturday after both attempted to disregard American democracy.
In his speech Friday, Biden decided to try and rally Americans behind him, saying that former President Donald Trump would “sacrifice democracy” by putting himself in power. Ironically, he chose to do so on Jan. 5, a day before the third anniversary of the events that took place on Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.
“The choice is clear. Donald Trump’s campaign is about him, not America, not you. Donald Trump’s campaign is obsessed with the past, not the future. He’s willing to sacrifice our democracy to put himself in power. Our campaign is different,” said Biden.
So far, Biden is the only Democratic candidate on the ballot in three states; North Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. In the 2020 election, all three states had several Democratic candidates appear on their ballots.
In a desperate attempt, Biden and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) rearranged the presidential nominating calendar so that states with a higher minority population go first.
Yang, who is now a member of the Forward party, saw the hypocrisy of Biden’s comments and actions and called out him out on social media.
“Look I vastly prefer Biden and would never vote for Trump. But saying you’re defending democracy while suppressing a primary in your own party is ridiculous,” Yang wrote in an X post.
Look I vastly prefer Biden and would never vote for Trump. But saying you’re defending democracy while suppressing a primary in your own party is ridiculous.
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) January 6, 2024
In a separate post, Yang commented on Biden mentioning George Washington, stating, “George Washington knew when to step aside.”
Joe Biden referenced George Washington several times in his Valley Forge speech yesterday. More than anything, George Washington knew when to step aside. https://t.co/Y3lfbebhPZ
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) January 6, 2024
Yang’s comment comes as Biden’s approval ratings are at an all-time low, and Democrats are abandoning the Biden train.
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) also joined Yang in criticizing the president, especially for tampering with the nomination calendar. In his own X post, Phillips tweeting, “Democrats suppressing competition, suppressing voters, and suppressing debate. In America.”
Democrats suppressing competition, suppressing voters, and suppressing debate. In America.
We did it by the book, but the party plays by its own rules.
Coronating an unelectable candidate and disenfranchising voters enables the erosion of democracy itself. https://t.co/EFT7TlkVCX
— Dean Phillips (@deanbphillips) January 2, 2024
Like Yang, Phillips has not shied away from his harsh criticism of the president. A few weeks ago, he told “Meet The Press” that “The president is not a threat to democracy, but … suppressing other candidates is a threat when you’re behind in the polls like he is.”
