Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) told CNN that the Democratic Party has become “toxic.”
In an interview on CNN’s “Inside Politics with Manu Raju,” Manchin asserted, “I am not a Democrat. In a form of what? What the Democratic Party has turned itself into the national brand? Absolutely not. And they know that. They’re all good people on both sides.”
“The brand got so bad, the D brand has been so maligned from the standpoint of, it’s just toxic, and the D brand is basically this. You know, I’ve told them, I said, first of all, as an American and as someone in the Senate, I’m going to take the constitutional oath, the Constitution that I take very, very, very, very seriously.”
“I’m going to help every human being pursue the pursue the happiness life in their life, pursuit of happiness,” Manchin explained. “I don’t care who they are. I don’t care what color. I don’t care about any of the things they love, and they do it. And that’s you. And I’m going to make sure you have that opportunity and right to live your life, just don’t make your life if it might be on the extremes or in the minority of few, make me believe that’s the norm or make me and my family believe, or my children believe or this or that. No, I will protect you. Just don’t try to mainstream it.”
He noted that Democrats in Washington “have tried to mainstream the extreme.”
Manchin switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Independent in May.
He said in a statement at the time, “From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what’s best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics. Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am. It’s who I will always be. I have never seen America through a partisan lens.”
“However, since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy. Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”
