The other Joe may soon be on his way to the White House.
Outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) kept the door open to a presidential run in an interview aired Wednesday, confirming that he would “absolutely” think about seeking the nation’s highest office.
“I will do whatever I can to help my country, and you say, ‘Does that mean you will consider it?’ Absolutely,” Manchin told NBC’s “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker.
“Every American should consider it if they are in a position to help save the country.”
Last week, Manchin announced he would not seek re-election to the Senate, leaving behind an uphill battle to retain his seat in his deep red home state.
West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice launched a campaign for Manchin’s seat earlier this year and polls show him unseating Democrats.
Joe Manchin suggested in a recent interview that he could seek the presidency.Sen_JoeManchin/Twitter
The Mountain State voted for former President Donald Trump by nearly 30 percentage points in the 2020 election and hasn’t endorsed a Democrat for president since Bill Clinton in 1996.
Manchin, 76, teased in a video statement announcing the re-election results that his political career may not be over.
“What I’m going to do is travel the country and talk to see if there’s an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle people and bring the American people together,” he said at the time.
President Biden has trailed GOP front-runner Donald Trump in various recent polls. AFP via Getty Images
“I’m going to do everything to make sure, to move that moderate, sane, common-sense middle man,” Manchin told Welker Wednesday.
The Democrat emphasized that he is “really, really scared to death that Donald Trump is going to be president again,” warning “I think we’re going to lose democracy as we know it” if that happens.
The grassroots organization No Labels has been testing the waters for third-party presidential contenders, and Manchin has supported their efforts.
Republicans successfully recruited Jim Justice to take over Joe Manchin’s seat.AP
Over the summer, Manchin co-chaired the No Labels event in New Hampshire with former Utah Republican Governor Jon Huntsman.
Raising that prospect is concern among Democrats that a third-party candidate could take away President Biden’s support and pave the way for a Trump victory.
“I’ve never been a spoiler in my life, and I’ll never be a spoiler now,” said Manchin, who noted that he sees March 5 — Super Tuesday — as a tough deadline to make a final decision.
Joe Manchin plans to gauge public interest in third-party candidates.REUTERS
During the first two years of the Biden administration, Manchin has emerged as the leading vote for Democrats in a 50-50 Senate.
He found himself under intense pressure from progressives, but ultimately embraced various high-dollar iterations of Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.
Last year, Manchin finally passed the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which he has since publicly criticized.
In his NBC interview, Manchin also accused Biden of moving “too far to the left” during his presidency, though he defended the soon-to-be 81-year-old from criticism throughout his age.
“When I met with Biden, we always had a very active engagement,” the senator said.
With Manchin’s decision not to run for the Senate, the math for Democrats to retain control of the upper chamber becomes more difficult.
Democrats hold 23 seats this cycle — Republicans hold only 11.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
