Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin appears at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.
Tom Williams | Chongqing Roll Call Company | Getty Images
Independent Senator. Joe Manchin visited the president on sunday Joe Biden Withdrew from the race against the former President Donald Trump.
“I made the decision with a heavy heart that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation,” Manchin said on CNN. “States of the Union.”
The West Virginia senator also called for an open nomination process and suggested Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as contenders. This is in stark contrast to how others view Vice President Kamala Harris Received the top ticket as the favorite.
Since Biden took office, pressure has grown on him to abandon his re-election bid. debate June was a disaster for Trump. With Manchin, 36 Democratic congressmanincluding four senators, Calls for Biden to drop out of the race and let a new nominee take the helm.
Manchin has been signaling over the past week that his support for Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, is declining.
The day after Trump was assassinated at a rally in Pennsylvania, Manchin issued a statement condemning political violence and acknowledging the vulnerability of the Democratic Party led by Biden.
“While Democrats must realize that in addition to losing the presidency, they risk losing the Senate and even the House of Representatives, they have done nothing to expand their reach and attract more Americans,” Manchin wrote on Sunday.
“Sadly, their outspoken support for President Biden in the face of his irredeemable debate performance just proves how much control the far left has over the current administration,” he added.
During the Biden administration, Manchin Positioning himself as a conservative Democrat, he has at times opposed much of the president’s agenda.
Earlier this election cycle, he appeared to consider running for the White House as an independent, and that seems more likely after he announced he wouldn’t run. Senate re-election, leaving his seat in a deep red state. But in February, he quelled speculation and said he would not launch a third-party campaign.
