Actor James Van Der Beek calls out Democrats for not holding primary debates, calls them 'back room' decision-makers

06/01/2023

James Van Der Beek by Gordon Correll is licensed under Creative Commons

Actor James Van Der Beek criticized Democrats on Memorial Day for the party's decision to not sponsor debates for their election primaries.

The 46-year-old, who has starred in shows such as "Dawson's Creek" and "How I Met Your Mother," posted a viral TikTok video lambasting Democratic office holders for not sponsoring any debates and disrespecting those who are "willing to die to preserve democracy."

"This is not a democracy by the people," Van Der Beek began. "This is a democracy by them. For who? Big banks? Big tech, big pharma, big government big whatever," he asked.

After President Biden announced in April 2023 that he would seek re-election, it was widely reported that the Democratic National Committee would not sponsor any debates. The Washington Post reported that the party said it would support Biden's re-election but that that President faced no serious opposition.