Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia gave his clearest answer yet to questions about his presidential ambitions on Wednesday.
“I will do anything I can to help my country,” he told NBC’s Kristen Welker in an interview. “And you say, ‘Does that mean you would consider [running for president]?’ Absolutely.”
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who announced last week he is not seeking reelection, tells NBC News he will “absolutely” consider running for president — his most candid acknowledgment of a potential third-party 2024 bid so far. pic.twitter.com/Xr4DzuL9Kh
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Manchin has previously dodged questions about running for president, telling CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell on Tuesday that, while there is “plenty of time” for a third-party candidate to enter the race, “It’s not about me.”
Manchin’s appearance at a July event hosted by centrist group No Labels prompted widespread speculation that he was considering a third-party White House bid. The speculation intensified following Manchin’s Thursday announcement that he would not to seek reelection in 2024, virtually guaranteeing that his seat will flip red.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure, and mobilize that moderate, sensible, common-sense middle. That could be a center-left, center-right,” Manchin told Welker.
The outgoing senator said he aims to “reinvigorate” centrists, citing concerns that former President Donald Trump could win a second term.
“I’m totally, absolutely scared to death that Donald Trump will become president again. I think we will lose democracy as we [know] it,” Manchin said in the interview. “And my reason for saying that. You can’t normalize this visceral hatred. Calling people names and attacking people. You can’t basically think the only fair election is the one you win. And the only laws pertain to anybody but you. That’s not the country we are.” (RELATED: ‘Playing Spoiler’: Multiple Third-Party Candidates Could Spell Bad News For Biden In 2024)
Manchin also criticized President Joe Biden, who he said has been “pushed too far to the left.”
“The bottom line is that’s not the Joe Biden that we thought was being elected, to go that far left,” Manchin told Welker.