Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia on Wednesday wouldn’t rule out a departure from the Democratic Party, saying he’s never considered himself “a Washington Democrat” as he weighs a potential presidential run.
“I’ve never considered myself a Washington Democrat. I’ve been a very independent person,” Manchin told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins when asked whether he’d leave the party.
Pressed by Collins on whether he was considering ditching the “D” by his name, Manchin – who is not running for reelection next year – responded: “Sure, you always consider that, absolutely,” adding that “they might throw me out so, who knows, they might do me a favor. I don’t know, we’ll see.”
Manchin’s announcement last week that he would not seek another term in the deeply red state came as a blow for Democrats hoping to hold onto a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate.
Manchin said that while he has received a “nice note” from Democratic President Joe Biden since his announcement, the two men haven’t spoken about the decision. “He’s been traveling quite a bit,” Manchin said, adding, “I’m sure we’ll be talking.”
Manchin, a moderate Democrat, has found himself at odds with members of his party throughout his congressional tenure. While he helped Biden notch some key legislative wins in the first half of his presidency, the senator has also been an outspoken Biden critic – especially on issues of the environment, energy and the economy.
“No matter what [letter] I have by me, I’m an independent thinking, I vote independently and I have always done that for 40 years,” Manchin told Collins.
In his announcement last week, the senator criticized the political “extremes” in Washington, arguing the “growing divide between Democrats and Republicans is paralyzing Congress and worsening our…
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