West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is considering re-registering as a Democrat so he can run for president.
Fox News confirmed Manchin, who in May left the Democratic Party and registered as an Independent, said Sunday he is considering re-registering with his original party and running for president.
“He will go down with a legacy unlike many people as one of the finest and surely a patriot, an American,” Manchin said of Biden during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week.” “And so with that, I come with a heavy heart to think the time has come for him to pass the torch to a new generation.”
Manchin changed his party registration from Democrat to independent this year, though he still caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate.
In the three weeks since Biden’s disastrous debate performance against former President Trump, Manchin said he “thought the president needed time to evaluate and make a decision if he was going to at that time.” The senator also acknowledged Democratic colleagues facing competitive races in Congress or at the state level in November who fear Biden’s re-election campaign could ruin their chances.
The senator privately expressed grave concern to Biden’s allies, including Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in the immediate aftermath of the debate but decided to cancel scheduled appearances on Sunday shows, Politico previously reported. In doing so, Manchin reportedly intended to give Biden time to decide the matter on his own, but the senator changed course.
Manchin’s surprising decision to switch from a Democrat to an Independent in May came amid reports that he was being encouraged to run for governor of West Virginia by moderate Republicans dissatisfied with the party’s nominee, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. It also came ahead of a deadline for filing as an independent in West Virginia.
Questioned about those reports in late May, Manchin downplayed the rumors but would not rule them out. He said the Democratic nominee, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, is a friend.
The West Virginia MetroNews reported sources “close” to the senator who said at least 20 Republicans “with financial resources” have encouraged Manchin to run for governor.
Since that report was published, Manchin was reportedly bombarded by people urging him to run at an event at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, according to WVMetroNews. The Greenbrier is notably owned by the state’s current governor, Democrat-turned-Republican Jim Justice, who is term-limited and now is the GOP’s Senate nominee to replace Manchin.
Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie and Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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