West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said he is “thinking seriously” about leaving the Democratic Party.
The Senator commented during an interview with radio host Hoppy Kercheval that he has thought about becoming an independent leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
“I’m thinking seriously. For me, I have to have peace of mind, basically,” the senator said.
“The brand has become so bad — the D brand and R brand. In West Virginia, the D brand because it’s [the] national brand. It’s not the Democrats in West Virginia, it’s the Democrats in Washington,” he explained.
“You’ve heard me say a million times I’m not a Washington Democrat,” Manchin stated, noting that he has considered the idea for “quite some time.”
Manchin has previously left the possibility of being an independent open, telling CNN reporters, “I can’t tell you what the future is going to bring,” adding “I’m not a Washington Democrat . . . and if a Washington Independent is – we’ll see what happens there.”
Reporting from Just the News:
The comments come amid rumors that Manchin will launch a third-party bid for president in 2024. Manchin's mulling over leaving the Democratic Party comes after Arizona Sen. Krysten Sinema left it last year to become an independent.
