Dem Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell Says Biden Is ‘Kept In A Bubble’

Democratic Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell said Tuesday on CNN that President Joe Biden is “kept in a bubble.”

CNN’s Phil Mattingly asked Dingell whether she agrees with assessments from some fellow Democrats that Biden is the best messenger and can connect with Michigan voters on his legislative record.

Dingell said there is “nobody better” than Biden to appeal to union workers, with Mattingly suggesting that while on paper, Biden has spent the most time and dedicated himself to union workers, there still remains a disconnect when looking at the numbers.

“Look, I’m not gonna lie to you: I’m the one that said to everybody six months ago, ‘We’ve got a problem,'” Dingell began. “I’m the one that told everybody there’s going to be a UAW [United Auto Workers] strike. But I’m also gonna tell you that you need to get in the [union] halls. And you know where my gut comes from, where I tell you all where we are: It’s because before the pandemic … [I’d] go in union halls every single weekend.”

“I’d talk to those men and women that are doing those everyday jobs that keep this country going,” he continued. “And Joe Biden does talk to them. He knows how to talk to them. Unfortunately he’s, at times, kept in a bubble. … Look, I think it’s great he goes to Delaware and Pennsylvania, but I want to see him get into a lot more of these midwest states. When you see Joe Biden, when you talk to Joe Biden, you really do know who he is–”

“Why do you think, to your point [of] being kept in a bubble: Why do you think that is?” Mattingly interjected.

“Well, you know, we’re coming out of a pandemic. There’ve been a lot of – now we’ve got … major, major world crises that, quite frankly, are going to be one of the issues in Michigan. I’m not going to lie about that, either. We’ve got very intense feelings on all sides. And it’s hard to be the President of the United States, because you do have to worry about security. I think his people need to get out into the field more and be talking about these issues,” Dingell said.

“But we have to do a better job,” she continued. “I want to tell you something else: I met with my slate legislators. They love to take credit for all the money that we’ve brought into the states, and I said to them, ‘You know what, you’ve got a tricky election next year. If Joe Biden doesn’t run well, you’re not going to run well. So let’s start giving him credit for what he has done.’ And you know that? They’re sending me the clips. They’re talking about it. We all have to a better job of talking about what has gotten done because of Joe Biden’s leadership.”

Questions about Biden’s viability for 2024 have arisen following a New York Times/Siena College poll that found former President Donald Trump leading Biden by substantial margins in five out of six key swing states. Biden holds a slight edge within the margin of error over Trump in Wisconsin. (RELATED: ‘Stop It!’: Joe Scarborough Looks Straight Into The Camera And Tells Off The Biden Campaign)

Several pundits have since raised the question of whether Biden should continue to run or drop out ahead of the 2024 presidential election. CNN’s David Axelrod said Monday that Biden “needs to decide … whether that is wise [to be the Democratic nominee], whether it’s in his best interest or the country’s?”

Director of Defending Democracy Together Bill Kristol posted on X that Biden needs to make an act of “personal sacrifice.”

“It’s time. President Biden has served our country well. I’m confident he’ll do so for the next year. But it’s time for an act of personal sacrifice and public spirit. It’s time to pass the torch to the next generation. It’s time for Biden to announce he won’t run in 2024,” Kristol said.