West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is considering Re-register as a Democrat So he can run for president.
Manchin, who left the Democratic Party in May and registered as an independent, said on Sunday he was considering re-registering with his original party and running for president, Fox News confirmed.
Manchin said Fox News’ Bret Baier posted on X that he was considering changing parties and running for president “if only to discuss bringing the party back to center stage.”
Earlier on Sunday, Manchin called on Biden to step down.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin leaves Democratic Party, registers as independent
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is considering rejoining the Democratic Party and running for president. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
“Unlike a lot of people, he’s going to leave a legacy as an American as one of the finest patriots,” Manchin said of Biden during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week.” “So, I Coming here with a heavy heart, thinking it’s time for him to pass the torch to a new generation.”
Manchin changed his party This year he registered as an independent from the Democratic Party, although he still caucuses with Democrats in the Senate.
Three weeks after Biden’s disastrous debate performance against former candidate President Trump, Manchin said he “thinks the president needs time to evaluate and make a decision if he’s going to do that at that time.” The senator also acknowledged that Democratic colleagues who face tight competition in Congress or at the state level in November are worried about Biden. ‘s re-election campaign could ruin their chances.
Joe Manchin faces pressure for 11th-hour campaign to secure key Democratic seat
President Biden announced Sunday that he will not seek re-election to remain in the White House for another four years. (Hannah Bell/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
After the debate, the senator privately expressed serious concerns to Biden allies, including Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, but decided to cancel the planned Appearance on Sunday’s show. Manchin reportedly did this to give Biden time to decide the matter on his own, but the senator changed course.
Manchin made the surprising decision to switch from Democrat to independent in May amid reports he was being encouraged to run for governor. west virginia It was launched by moderate Republicans dissatisfied with the party’s nominee, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. It also brings forward the deadline for filing as an independent in West Virginia.
When asked about the reports in late May, Manchin downplayed the rumors but did not rule them out. He said Democratic candidate Huntington Mayor Steve Williams is a friend of his.
Pressuring President Biden to withdraw from the race may have more to do with Congress than the White House
Vice President Kamala Harris is the likely Democratic presidential nominee after Biden announced on Sunday that he was withdrawing from the race. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye)
According to West Virginia Metro News, a source “close” to the senator said that at least 20 “financial” Republicans encouraged Manchin to run for governor.
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Since the report was published, Manchin has been bombarded with people urging him to attend an event at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulfur Springs, WVMetroNews reported. Notably, Greenbrier is owned by the state’s current governor, Democratic-turned-Republican Jim Justice, who is term-limited and is now the Republican Senate nominee to replace Manchin.
Fox News’ Aisha Hasni, Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
