Sen. Joe Manchin (D-Virginia) made a new pledge this week that he will help the next president “succeed” in the White House, regardless of who wins the general election.
“Let me say this: every time a president of our country is duly elected by the people, as Joe Biden was and as Donald Trump was in 2016, I am proud of his success. I will do everything in my power to help. “Manchin.” told Fox News Neil Kabuto Friday host said in an interview on “Your World.”
Kabuto then asked if former President Trump, the likely Republican nominee, would take the same approach if he were voted into office for a second term. The West Virginia senator acknowledged that he believes President Trump’s rhetoric has become more “vengeful” in recent days, but said he would continue to support President Trump if he is re-elected.
He particularly criticized Trump for his silence on the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and for not accompanying Republican rival Nikki Haley’s husband, who is currently stationed overseas, on the campaign trail. He criticized the attack as “vengeful.”
“I hope we all have reason to sit down and not use the vengeful, vindictive tone that he is promoting right now and that we all should and must have in this kind of…civil state. “I wish we could exercise common decency to not do that, and we have that,” Manchin said.
The senator was rumored to be considering a presidential run himself, but last week he backed away from that idea, adding that he would try to bring “common sense” to the next commander-in-chief.
“I’m not going to support anyone who tells me what I’m going to do and how I’m going to govern,” Manchin said. “But if they’re in that position, I’m going to work with them and try to get them back on a common sense.”
Moderate senators continued their approach with a focus on bringing nominees closer to centrist politics. Earlier this week, he reiterated his position that he does not support any candidates “at this time.”
“There’s still plenty of time here,” he said Monday. “I’m going to do everything in my power to bring them back to the center and show them where the strength of this country lies and where the voting bloc of this country is.”
Manchin also announced in November that he would not run for another term in the Senate, a seat he has held since 2010.
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