Manchin said Washington Democrats' 'brand' had become 'so bad'
Sen. Joe Manchin's possible third-party 2024 run sparks fear among Democrats
Fox News contributor Richard Fowler and former HUD deputy chief of staff Shermichael Singleton discuss the possible impact of a third-party presidential bid by Sen. Joe Manchin and debate Biden's student loan forgiveness plan
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Thursday that he is "seriously" considering becoming an independent and lamented that Washington Democrats’ brand had become "so bad."
"I have to have peace of mind, basically. The brand has become so bad, the ‘D’ brand and ‘R’ brand," Manchin told West Virginia Metro News' "Talkline" host Hoppy Kercheval.
"In West Virginia, the ‘D’ brand because it’s [the] national brand. It’s not the Democrats in West Virginia, it’s the Democrats in Washington."
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Thursday that he is seriously considering switching party affiliations. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Manchin has been asked several times in the past about a possible party switch, particularly after helping kill off key pieces of President Biden’s progressive agenda like Build Back Better. He never ruled it out but has been hesitant to go much further, preferring to keep his future political plans close even in the face of a fierce GOP Senate challenge from West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.
On Thursday morning, however, he said: "I would very seriously think about [becoming independent]."
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"I’ve been thinking about that for quite some time," Manchin said. "I haven’t made any decisions whatsoever on any of my political direction, I want to make sure that my voice is truly an independent voice."
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice switched parties from Democrat to Republican in 2017. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson, File)
But he vowed to continue calling out "extremes" on both sides of the aisle.
"When I do speak, I want to be able to speak honestly about basically the extremes of the Democrat and Republican Party that’s harming our nation," he said.
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Manchin’s latest comments come after he fueled speculation of a potential third-party presidential bid when he refused to rule the idea out during a No Labels event in New Hampshire.
In his Thursday radio interview, Manchin denied that such a campaign would hurt President Biden — something the Democrat commander-in-chief’s allies have warned about.
If Manchin becomes an independent, he would be the second Senate Democrat to do so in the last 10 months after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. (Getty Images)
"I don't see that favoring either side because you just can't tell how this is going to break," Manchin said.
If he switches from Democrat to independent, Manchin would be the second Senate Democrat to do so within the last 10 months after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., did so late last year.
Elizabeth Elkind is a reporter for Fox News Digital focused on Congress as well as the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and politics. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
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