Sen. Joe Manchin stunned the country when he announced he wasn’t running for re-election this year. That means, his options are open for the future. Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, revealed he was going to reach out to the “middle” of American voters.

Speculation has grown that Manchin could launch a late, independent run for president.

As it stands, he has not officially announced anything. But he continues to be a vocal critic of President Biden. And now, he just mentioned something that could shatter Biden’s re-election hopes.

From Fox News:
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is privately making the case that a “health scare” for President Biden or a “conviction” for former President Trump could give him the opportunity he needs to win a run for president this year…

Manchin told the outlet that he can “absolutely” see himself as President of the United States and is telling potential voters that he exercised a key influence on “everything” in Biden’s legislative agenda.

Sen. Manchin has gotten even closer to saying he has plans to run for president. According to reports, he said he could “absolutely” see himself as president. He has also reportedly said there would be an opportunity for him to run if Biden has a “health scare” and Trump is convicted.

There are several factors still pending over Biden’s and Trump’s chances at returning to the White House. Many have commented on Biden’s health and possible cognitive decline. The man is over 80 years old. And while Democrats have ignored his problems, it is possible that an event could happen that impedes his ability to run.

Trump appears healthy. But he is facing four criminal indictments. It is unknown what would happen if a presidential candidate is convicted while running for office. Should he be convicted, at the very least it might turn off voters who are considering him.

It seems Manchin would jump into the race if either of these things happened. But he would have to be building a campaign long before that. Could Manchin be already forming a coalition among independents right now?

He can’t count on a “health scare” or “conviction” to determine his future. Perhaps he is just days away from making an announcement that would turn this election on its head?

Key Takeaways:

• Sen. Joe Manchin suggested he would run for president, given certain events.
• He might run if Biden has a “health scare” or Donald Trump faces a “conviction.”
• Manchin is not running for re-election as senator, sparking speculation over his future.

Source: Fox News