Joe Manchin claims Mitt Romney has his running mate on a third-party ticket, as speculation grows over whether a moderate Democrat will run for president in 2024

Sen. Joe Manchin, 76, has been floating on a presidential ticket with Sen. Mitt Romney, 76, as he considers jumping into the 2024 waters with a third-party bid.

Manchin (D-W.V.) will not run for re-election to his Senate seat in 2024, fueling speculation that he will be the candidate to top a unity ticket with the No Label political movement.

In strictly theoretical terms, Manchin said Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio, that if he were to choose a running mate, he would ask Senator Romney (R-Utah). Both men are considered moderates in their respective parties.

“Hypothetically, if I were choosing my running mate, I would actually ask Mitt Romney right now,” Manchin said.

Pictured: Moderate Senator Mitt Romney (left) and Joe Manchin (right) speak on the floor of the House of Representatives during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to Congress on March 1, 2022

The West Virginia senator also said he would consider former Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) as a vice presidential pick in a party-splitting vote.

“Rob is a good friend of mine,” Manchin said. ‘What a good man.’

No Labels is trying to enter the 2024 general election with a unity option – meaning a Democrat and a Republican aligned together.

Many have long speculated that Manchin would be at the top of the unity ticket.

Yet Manchin doubled down on the claim that he has not yet made a decision during a speech at the City Club of Cleveland breakfast as part of his nationwide “listening tour,” which began when he announced he had decided not to seek another term in the U.S. Senate to search. .

After his hearing on Thursday, Manchin acknowledged that he has not ruled out a bid for the White House.

“Through a third party, everything is on the table,” Manchin told reporters, according to NBC News. ‘Nothing is off the table. I’m still evaluating all that. Super Tuesday would basically be a deadline that tells you where you are.”

This means that Manchin can make a decision by March 5 whether he wants to take the step to participate in the race. And if he doesn’t, No Labels might look for another candidate to lead the third party’s unity ticket.

Manchin said he would also consider teaming up with former Sen. Rob Portman (pictured), an Ohio Republican, if he were to launch a unity ticket in 2024.

Manchin took several swipes at Biden during breakfast. He complained that the Democratic president had gone “so far to the left.” ‘

He also praised Biden for moving more to the political center on some issues, such as border security, while still criticizing his policies in that area.

“First of all, if you want to blame Joe Biden, he is completely to blame for opening the border and making it what we have today,” Manchin said. “And I told him that I have disagreed with him since day one.”

Biden’s age has become a frequent line of attack for critics, which Manchin – who is just five years younger than the president – ​​also jumped on.

“He’s a little older than me,” Manchin said of Biden during the forum.

“You were like a freshman when he was a senior?” Moulthrop intervened.

“Pretty much,” Manchin replied.

Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Hur recently described the 81-year-old Biden as an “older man with a bad memory” in last week’s bombshell report, explaining why he declined to prosecute the president for mishandling classified documents .

City Club CEO Dan Moulthrop moderated Thursday’s forum and repeatedly pressed Manchin on his intentions in 2024.

“Guys, listen, I’m not running from anything,” Manchin insisted. “I’m actually running to get people involved.”

But his listening tour is enough to fuel speculation that he is seriously considering a no-label bid for the White House.

Manchin took several swipes at President Joe Biden during breakfast in Cleveland, Ohio on Thursday, claiming he had gone “so far to the left” and was acting his age — even though he is only five years younger

Part of Manchin’s listening tour included a stop in New Hampshire last month – just before the state’s first presidential election on January 23.

In addition, Manchin’s daughter launched the group Americans Together, which could serve as a vehicle for preparations for a presidential bid.

With the slogan “Let’s get s**t done,” Americans Together seeks to rebuke extremism on both sides of the political spectrum.

‘We oppose extremism in politics. It has taken over our political system and taken away our voices,” according to a description of the group on its website. “As proud Americans, we agree on more than we disagree.”

It adds: “We demand that our politicians put country before party to get things done. Enough is enough.’