When Joe Manchin announced he was leaving the Senate, speculation exploded on his future plans. The Democrat seemed to hint at a 2024 presidential run. But recently, he revealed he was not running for president this year.
Instead, he has talked about “mobilizing the middle” and convincing Joe Biden to abandon his far-left agenda.
Reporters asked him what he thought about the current state of the race. It seems they wanted to get him to endorse someone other than Donald Trump. It is unlikely they were counting on this response.
From Washington Examiner:
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) avoided endorsing President Joe Biden or Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley when asked in an interview Monday who would be a better president…“I know that Nikki Haley is in the fight, and I think she’s done a tremendous job so far, and she’s holding her ground.”
Manchin refused to endorse either Joe Biden or Nikki Haley. The typical moderate, he said a few encouraging words about both candidates. Manchin praised Haley for her fight against Donald Trump. She continues to run a campaign, despite the likelihood of her losing to the former president.
The Democrat senator has been critical of Biden’s progressive agenda. But he has appeared optimistic in the past about turning things around. Manchin had said he would not endorse Biden until he agreed to pull back on his aggressive agenda.
Manchin then made a statement that will turn more than a few heads. He suggested Haley could be a good third-party candidate, running against both Biden and Trump. He pointed to polling that makes it seem as if she is popular among independents and Democrats.
Is this a hint that Manchin is running this year, alongside a third-party Nikki Haley? This year’s election is already crowded with alternative candidates, including Cornell West and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But it is not outside the realm of possibility for Manchin to be Haley’s running mate in another upset campaign.
Key Takeaways:
- Joe Manchin refused to endorse either Joe Biden or Nikki Haley.
- He did praise Haley for sticking it out in her losing fight to Trump.
- Manchin suggested Haley would be an “attractive” third-party candidate.
Source: Washington Examiner
