Joe Manchin REFUSES to endorse Biden in 2024 and opens door to his own presidential bid: Democratic senator says he will make decision on his future later this year as speculation swirls
- ‘There’s plenty of time for the election,’ the West Virginia Democrat said when asked to endorse Biden
- ‘The main thing is to see who is involved. Let’s see who all the players are’
- “I won’t make a decision until the end of the year on what I’m going to do for my political future,” Manchin continued.
Sen. Joe Manchin declines to say if or when he will back President Biden in 2024 as he continues to fuel rumors that he himself may consider running for president.
“There’s plenty of time for the election,” the West Virginia Democrat faltered when asked to endorse Biden.
“That’s the problem with America right now, we start an election every time there’s a cycle coming up,” he said on CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday.
Senator Joe Manchin declined to say he would support President Biden in 2024 at year’s end as he continued to fuel rumors that he himself might consider running for president.
Based on historical precedent, the incumbents have broad support from their party. But Manchin said he would wait to see how the primary unravels before committing to backing a candidate.
“The main thing is to see who is involved. Let’s see who all the players are.
Biden, 80, has yet to officially launch a re-election bid, but continues to say he will.
“I’m not going to make a decision until the end of the year on what I’m going to do for my political future,” Manchin continued, declining to rule out another Senate bid or race for the top of the ticket. “I have too much work to do now.”
The key moderate senator has cast further doubt on whether Biden will win the upcoming election. “We have rampant debt, inflation that is killing people, shaky energy, a border out of control; Are you telling me we’re in the same ball game in the same stadium? I do not think so.’
Manchin was asked about comments he made last month in which he said he was not running for president “at this time”.
“You said you weren’t running for president. Is that an open-ended question, though?” asked CBS’ Margaret Brennan.
‘I did not say that. I said nothing about it. Ultimately, I will make my political decision in December. I take nothing off the table and I put nothing on the table,” the senator replied.
“I am not a candidate for the presidency of the United States. “I can assure you of that as we sit here today,” Manchin, who is up for re-election next year, told MetroNews on a Feb. 22 radio show.
Biden, 80, has yet to officially launch a re-election bid but continues to say he will
Pressed on whether he was ruling out a presidential bid, Manchin said, “I don’t know. I think right now you don’t know who will be the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate.
The only post Manchin has ruled out running for is governor, a post he held from 2005 to 2010.
GOP Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia has already floated a bid to fill Manchin’s seat, and the state’s Republican Gov. Jim Justice and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey are reportedly considering bids.
Meanwhile, another moderate Democrat, Senator Jon Tester of Montana, announced he would run for re-election late last month. Arizona Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema has yet to announce her plans either.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he thinks “we can do a lot of good, bipartisan things in these two years” and that Democrats “are filled with unity, optimism — and of optimism about 2024”.
Even so, Schumer’s Democratic Senate has been trapped in legislative amber this year, as the new Republican House has little appetite for compromise. Additionally, a string of Senate Democrats — including John Fetterman, Dianne Feinstein and Bob Casey — have been absent due to health issues.
“While the past two years have been focused on getting our program into law…the next two years will be about implementing this program,” the New York senator said.
