Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) appears to be close to jumping into the presidential race, as his recent comments indicate he is eyeing a third-party run.
Manchin, a senator representing one of the most Republican states in the U.S. who is seen as the most moderate Democrat in Congress, has not been shy about expressing his frustration with President Joe Biden’s far-left policies. In a recent interview with CNN, Manchin called out Biden while also hinting at a presidential run — noting that he could “absolutely” see himself in the White House.
While the West Virginia Democrat said that he saw Biden as a “good, decent man,” he expressed his concerns about another four years of a Biden presidency — declaring that the Biden administration is dominated by a group of “far, far-left liberals.”
Manchin went on to take credit for shaping “everything” in the president’s agenda, arguing that the country would be far worse off if he had not used his leverage over the razor-thin Democrat majority in the Senate to “force Biden to do things” his way.
“The way it was presented and the way it ended up are two different things,” he added.
Manchin also expressed fear that a rematch of Biden versus former president and current GOP primary frontrunner Donald Trump could lead to a second Trump administration, calling the prospect “very much concerning to every human being and every person who basically loves the country that we have, and the life that we have, and trying to have a future for our children and future generations.”
Manchin doesn’t want to be a spoiler, but says Biden’s gone toward
“far, far-left liberals.”Trump, though is “very much concerning to every human being and every person who basically loves the country that we have, and the life that we have”
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) January 28, 2024
The Democrat senator, like many of his allies, is concerned that Biden’s bad poll numbers predict him losing the 2024 presidential election to Trump.
CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere noted in covering Manchin’s interview that, if the moderate Democrat chooses to run, he would want to do so under the centrist “No Labels” group — which has been attacked by Biden loyalists for its potential to siphon off votes from the deeply unpopular president.
The “No Labels” group has been strongly advocating for a so-called “unity” ticket but has thus far been unable to find a candidate that is popular enough to sway voters — though many have suggested Manchin or former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), a moderate who is beloved by the media but relatively uninspiring to the public at large.
In a November statement following Manchin’s announcement that he would not be seeking re-election to the Senate, the “No Labels” group expressed admiration for the moderate Democrat, leading many to believe that the group was considering him as a candidate.
“Senator Joe Manchin is a tireless voice for America’s commonsense majority and a longtime ally of the No Labels movement. The Senate will lose a great leader when he leaves, but we commend Senator Manchin for stepping up to lead a long overdue national conversation about solving America’s biggest challenges, including inflation, an insecure border, out-of-control debt, and growing threats from abroad,” the statement read.
To the West Virginians who have put their trust in me and fought side by side to make our state better – it has been an honor of my life to serve you. Thank you. My statement on my political future: pic.twitter.com/dz8JuXAyTL
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) November 9, 2023
Meanwhile, speaking with reporters on the day of the New Hampshire primary, Manchin appeared to suggest he was planning to run.
“Super Tuesday pretty much confirms whatever is going to happen, what we believe will happen, and we’ll see where we go from there,” he said, adding: “But people are looking for options, and we’re going to be looking at that, too. Whether it’s me or whoever it may be, I think there’s going to be options available if it goes down the way it’s going down.”
