Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson has accused the Democratic National Committee (DNC) of rigging the primary race in favor of President Joe Biden.
Williamson, who was the first candidate to announce her intention to run against Biden, made the claim during an interview with Fox News host Steve Hilton on Tuesday, specifically by railing against the DNC’s intention to plan to forgo primary debates despite the various candidates vying for the nomination.
“I am still getting some patronizing treatment, and as we know … the DNC has said that there will be no debates and they are clearly doing what they can to make it easier for the president to win the nomination,” Williamson said. “But I’m out there, and I have another opponent who is out there.”
She continued:
The American people are waking up. The only way to protect our democracy is through the practice of more democracy. So, the American people at a time like this—for the sake of our democracy—should have options, should have as much array in front of them of ideas, whether they’re on the left or on the right, whether they’re on the Republican Party of Democratic Party. That’s democracy.
It’s not just that I deserve to have a chance to get my message out there. I think the American people deserve to hear whoever is running and what they have to say.
The 70-year-old Texan, who is best known for her collection of self-help books, announced her intention to run in 2024 back in March, in order to “disrupt the corruption that has led to such a dangerous place for both people and planet, and put America on the path to a season of repair.” She previously ran for the nomination in 2020 but withdrew before the primary elections began and endorsed socialist Bernie Sanders.
Last month, The Washington Post reported that the DNC will “support Biden’s reelection” and “has no plans to sponsor primary debates.” However, the outlet noted there remain “concerns from some in the party about his age and dissatisfaction among some liberals who say he has not pushed their priorities hard enough.”
“The DNC should not be rigging this system,” Williamson said back in March. “They don’t even pretend anymore. They’re not even covert about their swaying the primary season. They’re very overt about it.”
Another candidate who has opposed the DNC’s plans to support Biden’s re-elect is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said back in April that the committee was undermining the “democratic process,” adding:
Debates and town halls are part of the democratic process. We’re living in a time when there’s a lot of Americans who believe our democracy is broken. And I think both political parties have to bend over backward to start restoring faith in democracy and election integrity.
Americans think the entire system is rigged against them. And if the DNC goes through with this—its plan to not have debate—I think that will serve as … an unfortunate confirmation to a lot of Americans that the system is indeed rigged.
The DNC has long faced accusations of favoring establishment candidates. A case in point was the 2016 primary election, where Hillary Clinton’s influence and control over the DNC’s finances was said to have tilted the election in her favor against Bernie Sanders.
