Joe Manchin says he ‘absolutely’ would consider running for president in 2024: Senator won’t rule out potential third-party bid that could dent Biden’s chances

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said Wednesday he would “absolutely” consider a presidential run, giving himself until Super Tuesday to decide whether to launch a third-party bid for the White House.

Manchin spoke with Kristen Welker, host of NBC’s Meet the Press, after announcing Thursday that he would not seek another term in the U.S. Senate.

Pressed by Welker about what he would do next, the West Virginia moderate said he would do “whatever I can to help my country.”

“And you say, ‘Does that mean you would consider it?’ he said of a presidential bid. ‘Absolute. Every American should consider this if he or she is in a position to help save the country.”

At the same time, Manchin said he did not want to help former President Donald Trump’s re-election and that there was still hope that President Joe Biden could be dragged back to the political center.

Manchin (right) spoke with Kristen Welker (left), host of NBC’s Meet the Press, after announcing Thursday that he would not seek another term in the U.S. Senate

‘I’m absolutely terrified of that Donald Trump would become president again. I think we will lose democracy as we know it,” Manchin said.

“And my reason for saying that: You cannot normalize this deep-seated hatred, calling people names and attacking people,” he continued. “You can’t basically think that the only fair election is the one you win, and that the only laws apply to everyone but you.”

As for Biden, he told Welker, “I’m afraid Joe Biden has been pushed too far to the left.”

‘Can he come back? We’ll see,” the senator added. “But the bottom line is that this is not the Joe Biden we thought would be elected, going so far left.”

Manchin has been involved with the group No Labels, which is working to secure access to state ballots for a presidential candidate in next year’s general election.

“On our No Labels Unity presidential ticket, we are gathering input from our members across the country to understand the type of leaders they would like to see in the White House,” read a statement from the group, praising Manchin for his ‘tireless voice’. for America’s Healthy Majority,” upon news last week of his retirement from the Senate.

“As we have said from the beginning, we will make a decision in early 2024 on whether to nominate a Unity presidential ticket and who will be on it,” the statement said.

Manchin, a Democrat, said he was concerned that President Joe Biden, who arrives in San Francisco for APEC on Tuesday, has been “pushed too far to the left.”

NBC’s Meet the Press host Kristen Welker pushed back on Manchin, saying he would ‘absolutely’ run for president in 2024 under the right circumstances

Manchin suggested he could make a decision around Super Tuesday.

“I think so,” he told Welker.

Super Tuesday takes place on March 5 next year and gets its name because voters from 16 states and American Samoa go to the polls.

Manchin said his decision would depend on whether there was a desire for moderation among the electorate.

The West Virginia lawmaker said it “seems pretty clear that President Biden will be the nominee for the Democratic ticket.” And former President Trump would be the nominee for the Republican ticket, calling that contest a “tough situation.”

But he also teased that he would remain sidelined if “someone moved or changed positions.”

“Has anyone become more civilized, more moderate, or more centrist?” he asked.

Manchin also revealed during his conversation with Welker that he believed his Senate seat would likely turn red.

“The high probability of that happening is yes, because I know my state and I know where it has gone and it has been overwhelmingly Republican,” Manchin said. ‘That wasn’t the reason I decided not to run. I did everything I could possibly do.”

The state’s current Republican governor, Jim Justice, known for his English bulldog Babydog, and Republican Rep. Alex Mooney, have already announced their intention to run for Manchin’s Senate seat.