(RepublicanReport.org) – Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) hinted for months that he might run as a third-party candidate against both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump this November. He recently backpedaled on the idea, claiming serious issues with Congress made him reassess his bid for the presidency. Even more, the disillusioned politician appears ready to step away from Washington altogether, criticizing his peers and claiming the Democratic party has changed too much.
Manchin posted his frustrations, which stem mainly from the Senate’s rejection of the recent bipartisan border bill, on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. He said the chamber’s inability “to pass commonsense legislation” helped to solidify his decision not to pursue his congressional seat for another term. He also issued a press release, where he claimed “party politics” were to blame for the bill’s failure.
Less than a week later, he announced that he would not be running for president, either. Manchin stated that he was still dedicated to finding the right person for the job, adding that he would continue to fight to overcome the challenges currently dividing the country.
The West Virginia senator refused to endorse anyone as he stepped away, not even the current Democratic frontrunner. He said the party isn’t the same one he was raised to believe in, and he wasn’t sure who would be getting his support. Manchin said there was still “plenty of time” to look at the candidates and felt that the race might yet not come down to Biden or Trump. No Labels, the party Manchin had considered running under, still hasn’t declared a candidate.
According to NPR, Manchin’s decision to leave his Senate seat open is unlikely to help the Democrats, who are likely to lose the benefit of his typically moderate-left voting record once he’s gone. West Virginia generally votes on the conservative side, so there’s a high probability his seat will flip red.
Copyright 2024, RepublicanReport.org
