Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) declined to endorse President Joe Biden and left open the prospect of challenging him for the Democratic nod in 2024.
Noting that it was early and he was keen on seeing "who all the players are," Manchin revealed that he was not prepared to preemptively back Biden, illustrating the divide between him and his party.
MANCHIN KEEPS PRESIDENTIAL RUN ON THE TABLE: 'WILL WIN WHATEVER RACE'
"There's plenty of time for the election. This is the problem with America right now. We start an election every time there's a cycle coming up. The bottom line is let's see who's involved. Let's wait until we see who all the players are," Manchin told CBS's Face the Nation.
Biden has yet to officially declare his 2024 campaign but has insisted that he "intends" to do so and is rumored to be eyeing an April launch. So far, his only Democratic challenger is bestselling self-help author Marianne Williamson, who formally unveiled her campaign Saturday.
An overwhelming myriad of Democrats has rallied around Biden ahead of his expected party coronation. CBS Host Margaret Brennan pressed Manchin on his reelection plans, saying that Manchin said he is "not running for president."
"I didn't say anything about that. The bottom line is I will make my political decision in December, whatever it may be," Manchin shot back. "I'm not taking anything off the table. And I'm not putting anything on the table."
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Manchin has previously countered reports that he ruled out a presidential run. Polling has shown a fierce reelection race for Manchin if West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R), who is term-limited, jumps into the race. Former President Donald Trump won Manchin's ruby-red state by nearly 40 percentage points in 2020.
During Biden's first two years in office, Manchin served as the linchpin senator and scuttled numerous versions of the president's "Build Back Better" agenda before reaching an agreement last year on the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act package. Manchin recently reflected on his relationship with Biden, saying, "we're not in the same ballpark on so many things."