Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) indicated on Friday that he has not given up on endorsing President Joe Biden this November but claimed where he is now is too far to the left.
Manchin said there was still time for Biden to earn his support, but he wanted the old Biden who was a unifier back rather than one who listens to the far-left members of his party.
“I want Joe Biden to be the Joe Biden I’ve known forever, OK?” Manchin told MSNBC’s Katy Tur. “Always working a deal, always wanting to bring people together, which is how he campaigned in 2020. I think his staff is taking him too far left. I don’t believe that’s where he needs to be. I don’t believe that’s where he is, internally, never has been, and love to see him come back to that.”
Manchin cited one example of backing away from the far Left would be for the president to step up and take control of the immigration crisis on the U.S. southern border now that Congress has failed to pass border security bills.
“I’m begging him now, if this can’t be fixed in Congress, to basically declare a national emergency because the border is of national concern and [is] a national emergency,” Manchin said.
Manchin also encouraged Biden to return to the center of the party because that’s where more votes lie. Manchin claimed the election would come down to who has a stronger base, which he claims is currently former President Donald Trump.
“There’s too many people I know sitting on the sidelines who won’t vote for either one. They’re the ones that have to make a choice,” Manchin said. “Donald Trump has his base secured. Joe Biden does not have his base secured, and if the far Left is scaring him and making him believe ‘We’re going to leave you if you do things more rational,’ I tell you, there’s people who are not going to vote at all. They need to make their mind up, but he needs to give them a reason.”
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Although Manchin is still refraining from endorsing the president, he stated he would not support or endorse Trump. It is not clear whether he would support a third-party candidate, but he was previously supportive of the centrist group No Labels’s efforts to create a bipartisan presidential ticket.
Manchin was floated as a possible contender for the bipartisan ticket but announced he would not seek the presidency in February. Manchin is also not seeking reelection to the Senate.
