Sen. Joe Manchin Teases Possible 2024 Presidential Run As Independent

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) has continued to tease a possible 2024 presidential run.

When asked about running for a higher office, Manchin said, “I don’t like the direction we’re going. I don’t know what the next chapter will be, I don’t know [where] the future lies, I really don’t. I can tell you one thing: I feel, like most Americans, we’ve got to come together. Americans want to be united, they want to be together and right now we’re going further apart.”

If Manchin were to run, he would run as a third-party candidate.

He is a centrist and has criticized the Democratic Party for its refusal to negotiate with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) on a fiscal reform package to attach to legislation raising the debt limit.

Manchin has expressed frustration about the lack of progress on energy reform and national debt. He famously blocked the Democrat’s signature Build Back Better bill last year but eventually compromised on the scaled-back Inflation Reduction Act, which included many of its elements.