Joe Manchin predicts 'damage' Mike Johnson could do: 'We’re going to lose democracy'
US Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) — who announced he would not run for re-election in 2024 — opposes both Donald Trump and President Joe Biden's policies, which is why he considered running for president. However, the centrist senator decided against the move with the belief he could make more of a difference traveling the country and talking to voters instead.
During Sunday's episode of MSNBC's Morning Joe, Manchin shared his thoughts, not just on Trump's potential impact on the future of American democracy, but also the impact of House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-LA) leadership.
"Can you talk about the damage that Mike Johnson and Donald Trump, and those who are opposing aid to Ukraine are inflicting on, not only the people of Ukraine, but on western democracy right now?" host Joe Scarborough asked the West Virginia leader.
READ MORE: Joe Manchin not running for re-election but will travel the country
Manchin replied, "We were talking just a little bit before you came back on and discussing this moment of time. Every elected official, every elected official, has that moment in time when you ask yourself, 'What is my purpose of serving? Is my purpose of serving is to protect myself, and my political future? Or do my job and stand tall?' I've come to the conclusion that we need term limits. I've come to that collusion. I never have before. There's only one way we're going to get any type of performance. And I've come to the conclusion, Joe, because I was on a town hall in southern West Virginia, and a lovely elderly lady, 10-15 years ago, told me why I should do it. She said, 'Joe, think about. If we had term limits, maybe we'd get one term out of you. I was sold. I had no comeback. I had no defense. She was correct. More correct today."
The centrist leader continued, "But Mike Johnson, you know, it's a moment in history for him to make a decision. 'What's my purpose of serving the good people of Louisiana? Why did I come here to serve my country and take an oath office to defend and protect the Constitution?' Mike, you got a chance to rise, up to be a hero and the annals of history. To do it and with that right way. And if they can't come together — this purity test, Joe, you know how that is. The purity test, you got to have 218 Democrats. If you have a majority, they all gotta vote. If 218 Democrats don't vote, we don't pass anything. If 218 Republicans — those days are gone. The country's too divided. And right now you have to build coalitions. If they get rid of the filibuster in the Senate, we're going to lose democracy as we know it, because it forces us to get them a piece of legislation that can weather the test of time. In the House, they always give us something hot. [Former House Speaker] Paul Ryan (R-OH) and I were talking the other night. I said, 'Paul, we always expect to get something hot from you. And you always expect us to tone it down a little bit and give it back to you. Something you can swallow and it'll last the test of time. That's where we are. And he can't come to that grips. If you're gonna have five or ten people that's going to be the tail wagging the dog, I don't know if I want to be the head of the dog."
Watch the video below or at this link.
'I don't know if i want to be the head of the dog': Joe Manchin has a message for Mike Johnsonyoutu.be
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