Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) threatened President Joe Biden on Sunday with jumping into the presidential race on a third-party ticket.
If Manchin enters the race, he would siphon votes from Biden’s candidacy, dooming his reelection campaign. Many polls already show Biden trailing former President Donald Trump.
The West Virginia Democrat, who will retire from the Senate in 2024, told a private gathering in Connecticut that he will meet with Biden “in the coming days” to move him “to the center,” Fox Business’s Charles Gasparino reported Monday.
Manchin would “seriously” consider launching a third-party ticket campaign against Biden if he does not compromise and change his far-left policies, Manchin said, noting that Trump’s Republican nomination would inspire his potential run.
“He also indicated he is seriously thinking [of] running on a @NoLabelsOrg prez ticket if Biden doesn’t move away from his leftist first term governing style and if the GOP nominates @realDonaldTrump,” Gasparino reported. “He believes @NoLabelsOrg will have a plan of action by Super Tuesday. Developing.”Scoop: @Sen_JoeManchin spoke at a private gathering last night in Darien Ct and said he plans to meet with @JoeBiden in the coming days to try to move him “to the center.” He also indicated he is seriously thinking if running on a @NoLabelsOrg prez ticket if Biden doesnt move…
— Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) January 15, 2024
Manchin does not intend to spoil Biden’s reelection campaign, he told Fox News on Sunday but reiterated his threat to enter the race.
“Let me just say I have never been a spoiler, nor will I ever be a spoiler on any election,” Manchin said. “If I’m involved, I’m involved to win. But to be a spoiler for the sake of throwing the election one way or the other, I would never do.”
Manchin suggested that Super Tuesday will be a defining day to determine if he will jump into the race.“For any third-party attempt, it would define itself by, let’s say, Super Tuesday. If there’s going to be any movement whatsoever,” he said. “So we’ll just see where we are at that point in time. Right now, both parties seem to have a hard time with the candidates.”
“I think you start looking after Super Tuesday to find out what the lay of the land is going to be. A lot can change in the next two months. So let’s wait and see,” he added.
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former GOP War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.
