Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) sent another hint that he is considering a 2024 presidential run.
The centrist Democrat has long cast himself as an old-school Democrat and unifier, often voting with Republicans. In a recent interview with the Messenger, he once again teased at possibly running against President Joe Biden, citing his longing to unite the divided country.
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“First of all, you can see how divided the country is. … People are upset with both President Biden for not bringing the country together … and also with Donald Trump for being a tremendous divider,” Manchin said. “When you look at that, people are just naturally saying, is there something else? Is there something better?”
Manchin shied away from saying that “something better” could be him, simply stating the idea “has a lot of options.”
“It has a lot of options. Let’s put it that way. A lot of options,” he added. “I have a lot of gas in the tank still left.”
He further pitched his vision for the United States as wanting to unite the parties along common matters and attempting to stem polarization.
“I’m more concerned about my country than I’ve ever been and our standing in the world,” Manchin said. “I’m concerned about the things I know we can fix. We can get our financial house in order. It doesn’t seem my Democrat colleagues are as concerned about that as I am. On the other hand, I’ve seen Republicans really have the chance to make changes, and they haven’t either.”
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The West Virginia Democrat would likely face his toughest Senate race yet in 2024, attempting to hold his seat against challenger Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV), who has announced his candidacy in the Senate race. Manchin looks increasingly vulnerable and has not announced whether or not he intends to run for reelection.
Most Democrats have united behind Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024. His two Democratic challengers, Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are seen as long-shot candidates.