Joe Manchin Calls Democratic Party "Toxic" as He Announces Exit from U.S. Senate

 Lifelong Democrat Turned Independent Issues Stark Warnings to Former Party, Predicts U.S. "Is Not Going Left"

Joe Manchin Issues Warnings to Former Party, Slams Democratic "Toxicity" as He Steps Down from Senate

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a lifelong Democrat who switched to independent earlier this year and is now stepping down after 15 years in the Senate, issued a series of strong warnings to his former party on Sunday. 

Speaking to CNN, Manchin described the Democratic Party as "toxic," adding that he no longer recognized it as the party he once belonged to. "The D-brand has been so maligned... it’s just toxic," he said, emphasizing that he couldn't identify with the party as it has evolved.

A wealthy coal tycoon, Manchin criticized the party's growing authoritarian tendencies, claiming it had become overly censorious and dictatorial toward everyday Americans. He blamed progressives for this shift, saying, "They’ve basically expanded upon thinking: ‘Well, we want to protect you here, but we’re going to tell you how you should live your life from that far on.’" 

Joe Manchin: "The Country is Not Going Left" as He Critiques Both Parties on Key Issues

Joe Manchin predicted that the U.S. "is not going left," criticizing the Democratic Party for shifting its focus from core issues like jobs and fair wages to more sensitive social issues, such as LGBTQ+ rights. He expressed concern that both Democrats and Republicans have failed to take responsibility for the federal budget.

The senator, a former Democrat turned independent, also criticized Republicans for lacking "common sense" on gun control. He argued that neither party has come up with a reasonable approach to address the ongoing crisis of mass shootings. "They’re too extreme—it’s just common sense," Manchin said. "The Democrats go too far, wanting to ban everything. The Republicans say, 'Oh, let the good times roll. Let anybody have anything they want.'"

When asked about comments from Greg Casar, the incoming chair of the progressive wing in Congress, who suggested Democrats could have won elections by embracing more progressive leaders like Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Manchin didn’t hold back. "For someone to say that, they’ve got to be completely insane," he replied.  

Manchin Critiques Kamala Harris’s 2020 Campaign, Calls for a Third Party in the U.S.

Senator Joe Manchin placed some of the blame for Kamala Harris's loss to Donald Trump in the 2020 election on her struggle to position herself as a moderate candidate, after supporting progressive causes during her 2019 Democratic primary campaign.

"If you try to be somebody you're not, it's hard," Manchin remarked. While he did not publicly endorse Harris's campaign, he refrained from revealing which candidate he voted for in November. However, he expressed respect for the president-elect, saying he had recently told him, “I want to help any way I can” and that he hoped for his success. "Every red-blooded American should want your president to succeed, whether you vote for him or not, whether the same party or not, whether you like him or not," Manchin added.

The senator also reiterated his belief that the U.S. needs a new political party. He proposed the formation of an "American party" that would serve as a center ground for moderate Democrats and Republicans.

Manchin Calls for a Stronger Centrist Voice and Critiques Both Parties on Governance

Senator Joe Manchin argued that the centrist-moderate vote ultimately determines who becomes president, but lamented that once in office, neither party governs with that middle ground in mind. "The centrist-moderate vote decides who’s going to be the president of the United States. And when they get here, they don’t govern that way. Neither side does. They go to their respective corners," he said.

He added that if the center had its own party, it could push both the Democratic and Republican parties to return to more balanced, cooperative governance. "If the center had a voice and had a party that could make both of these – the Democrat, Republican party – come back, OK, that would be something," Manchin said. 

In a more policy-focused interview on CBS’s Face the Nation, Manchin criticized Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, calling the current Congress "the worst performing Congress in the history of our country." He pointed to the turmoil during the previous session, which featured a prolonged leadership battle that left Republicans "in knots" and unable to pass significant legislation. Manchin also accused the GOP of failing to reach out to Democrats in order to maintain a majority with some level of bipartisanship.

On former President Donald Trump, Manchin predicted that Trump would now have a better understanding of the presidency. "He’s got some experience under him," Manchin said. "He understands the process and the power that he’s wielding right now."