Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia moderate and Democrat, declined to endorse President Joe Biden’s potential reelection on Sunday, citing the need to wait and see who all the players are. During an appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan asked Manchin if he would endorse Biden if he ran for reelection.
Manchin’s response was, “There’s plenty of time for the election. This is the problem with America right now. We start an election every time there’s a cycle coming up. The bottom line is, let’s see who’s involved. Let’s wait until we see who all the players are. Let’s just wait until it all comes out.”
Biden’s White House has insisted that the president “intends to run,” but the president himself has yet to make an announcement. Manchin’s refusal to endorse Biden’s potential reelection bid comes as Republicans in his state are gearing up to flip his seat in the 2024 election. Manchin also declined to provide clarity on his own political future.
“I’m not going to make my announcement for anything until the end of the year. I’m not going to make my decision about what my political position is going to be, or what I’m going to do for my political future,” Manchin said. “I won’t do it until the end of the year. I’ve got too much to do now.”
Manchin’s comments have come at a time when the 2024 Republican primary is heating up, with former President Donald Trump already throwing shots at his potential opponents.
So far, only he and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley have formally announced campaigns, but several other candidates, such as former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, are expected to enter the race.
In light of Manchin’s refusal to endorse Biden’s potential reelection, Republicans are optimistic that they can flip his seat in the 2024 election. With the 2024 Republican primary shaping up to be a crowded field, the race for the White House is sure to be a closely contested one.