Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) criticized partisan politics and lawmakers in Washington, D.C., for forcing people to "pick a side" while speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for an industrial battery plant in West Virginia on Friday.

Manchin urged attendees not to "believe that you're divided" and emphasized his stance as a centrist Democrat who respects bipartisanship.

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"This country is not divided," Manchin said. "It's the politics in Washington that's divided. They're trying to push you to pick a side. They say, 'What side do you belong to?' I belong to one side, the American side. That's all.

"Forget about the D and the R. You can have your fun with that, you can play with it, but it should always bring you back to make decisions: How do you make your country stronger?" Manchin continued.

Manchin furthered his call for common ground by speaking about his relationships with both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

The West Virginia senator often pushes back against liberal policies championed by the Biden administration and more Left-leaning senators. He was instrumental to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping climate and energy bill Biden signed into law in August 2022.

"I've known Joe Biden for a long time. We agree, and we agree to disagree, and we can do that in a civil manner and still sit down and try to find the next challenge. That's what you have to do."

He added that he had the same relationship with Trump "up until a point" where they could talk. He seemed to admonish opponents of both Trump and Biden, saying United States citizens should be rooting for a president's success

"Every American should pray for your president to do well, whether you like him or not, whether you voted for him or not, whether they're in the same political party because that's the face of America," Manchin said.

Manchin is up for reelection in 2024 but has not yet made a public announcement as to whether he will seek a third term. He is expected to do so in early 2024, and there is speculation that he may retire or even run for higher office.

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Regardless of which race he enters, he will face a slew of Republican challengers. Manchin's likely top opponent will be Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV), who is leading in early polls over the senator.

"Make no mistake, I will win any race I enter,” Manchin said after Justice entered the race.