Independent Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia on Sunday called on President Biden to step down.
“He’s going to leave a legacy, unlike a lot of people, as the finest, most accomplished, most patriotic, most American,” Manchin said of Biden during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.” “And so it’s with a heavy heart that it’s time for him to pass the baton to a new generation.”
Manchin switched party affiliation from Democrat to independent this year but remains a member of the Senate Democratic caucus.
ABC host Martha Raddatz asked Manchin directly if he thought Biden should step down as the Democratic nominee, to which Manchin responded, “I think Biden has the ability to be the president he always wanted to be, in his final five months as president, to unite the country, bring it back together, and devote his full time to solving Gaza, to bringing peace to Gaza and to the Middle East.”
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Manchin said Biden will now spend the rest of his term “strengthening and strengthening Ukraine’s ability to defend and win freedom and demonstrate to the world an orderly transition of power from a global superpower.”
“I think the president needed time to evaluate and make a decision, if that’s what he was going to decide at that point,” Manchin said, three weeks after Biden’s disastrous debate defeat against former President Donald Trump. He also acknowledged that his Democratic colleagues, facing tough congressional and state-level races in November, worry that Biden’s reelection campaign could cripple their chances.
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The donor base has also voiced its opinion that “they want to go in a different direction,” and Manchin believes Biden must step aside, adding that he is “concerned” to see the 81-year-old Biden continue to campaign.
“I’m concerned. I watch him and I’m concerned. I’m really concerned about the health and well-being of the president,” Manchin said. “But I know when I talk to him, when he’s in a good mood, he’ll say, ‘Hey Joe, Joe, how are you doing?’ And when he’s upset with me he’ll say, ‘Joe, what’s up?’ So we’re communicating as we always have.”
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Manchin said that while he thinks Biden should stop campaigning for reelection, he believes Biden still has the mental acuity needed to serve the remainder of the term as president.
“I think he’s basically going to be able to finish this job that he started the way that he wanted to finish it,” Manchin said.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
