Hans Nichols
Axios
Top White House officials are anxiously watching a potential third-party challenge from No Labels, while studiously avoiding any public attacks that could give the group oxygen for its bipartisan presidential ticket.
Why it matters: The historically unpopular prospect of a Trump vs. Biden rematch has breathed life into a cadre of potential spoilers and alternatives, among which No Labels is the most well-funded.
Driving the news: President Biden hosted a fundraiser in rural Minnesota on Wednesday — a pre-planned visit to the home state of Rep. Dean Phillips, a moderate Democrat who launched an unlikely primary challenge last week.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and Kennedy family scion, exited the Democratic primary last month to run as an independent.
Cornel West, a left-wing academic and activist, is also running an independent campaign that could draw a second look from progressive voters alienated by Biden’s support for Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
Behind the scenes: Team Biden’s goal is to avoid antagonizing No Labels’ founder and CEO Nancy Jacobson, a former Democratic political operative whom many senior Biden officials know well.
