'Can't I be a moderate centrist?' Joe Manchin refuses to commit to a party if he runs for president

02 April 2023

United States Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) on Sunday deflected a question about which political party's nomination he would seek if he decides to run for president in 2024.

Speaking with NBC News moderator Chuck Todd on Meet the Press, Manchin said that he will make a decision sometime before the middle of next January and that what should matter most is who he is as a person.

"Bottom line, we'll find out if you're gonna run for president, uh, January of 2024?" Todd queried.

"Uh, my, my filing date is January 15th in 2024. And I will make my decision bef – maybe a little bit before that. But not until the end of the year, I can assure you," Manchin teased.

"And do you know whether for sure you're gonna be running as a Democrat or as something else?" Todd asked.

"Well, I, you know, the party identification is not gonna change me. Democrat, Republican. I mean, having a D and R should not change you as a person. I'm gonna still fight for the things I do. Can't I be a moderate centrist with uh, whatever identification or no identification. I would think I'm not gonna be changing as a person. I've been doing this for a long time. I'm gonna continue to fight for the people of West Virginia and the people of my great country. Proud to be an American.

"And when you hear people say that you might be a spoiler if you run for president, what would you say?" Todd pressed Manchin.

Manchin disagreed.

"I would never intend to be a spoiler of anything. I would like to basically be a pro, uh, promoter of, of united, united government, uh, a united government that basically has pro, provided the greatest opportunities in the world," he replied. "My great-grandparents came to this country for the opportunities it provided. I'm a product of that. I'm very, very, very appreciative of that, and I'm gonna continue to try to offer to people, countless people in America and around the world."

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