Sen. Joe Manchin Says He Won’t Run For President As A Third Party Candidate Just A Day After Floating Mitt Romney As Potential Running Mate

On Friday, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) said he would not run for president as a third-party candidate.

“I will not be seeking a third-party run. I will not be involved in a presidential run,” Manchin told an audience at West Virginia University.

It was a surprising announcement given that just a day before, he suggested that he might launch a third-party presidential campaign and floated the name of Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) as a potential running mate.

At a breakfast event hosted by the City Club of Cleveland as part of his nationwide “listening tour,” Manchin endorsed the idea of Romney as a hypothetical running mate. He also mentioned he had considered former Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) for the V.P. position.

At the event, Manchin openly criticized President Joe Biden on various issues and emphasized his concerns about the administration’s policies. Despite the speculation around his potential presidential bid, Manchin evaded direct answers about his 2024 intentions and instead chose to highlight his commitment to the public’s engagement and involvement.

When asked by reporters after the event about the possibility of a White House campaign, Manchin said he would continue to evaluate his options. He mentioned that the Super Tuesday deadline in early March would play a crucial role in his next steps.

Manchin’s daughter has launched a group called Americans Together, which could potentially support his presidential preparations. As part of his tour, Manchin is set to make appearances in Columbus, Ohio, and address the Detroit Economic Club in Michigan, just a day before the Democratic presidential primary in that state.

The City Club event attracted over 150 attendees from both sides of the political spectrum. Notable figures in the audience included Rob Frost, former chairman of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party, and Danny Kelly, a Democrat and prominent labor leader on the Cleveland City Council.

Throughout the event, Manchin expressed his dissatisfaction with Biden and the administration’s leftward shift. He criticized Biden’s handling of border security while also acknowledging the president’s efforts to move toward the political center.

When asked about a recent report that described Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory,” Manchin stated that he had no issues communicating with either Biden or former President Donald Trump directly. He emphasized the need to focus on character rather than memory lapses when evaluating presidential candidates.

Asked by a reporter afterward about concerns about Biden’s mental acuity, Manchin responded, “If you’re going to base on memory, your vote, and if that’s your two choices, we’re in trouble…When the president made a mistake and a gaffe of calling the president of Egypt, identifying him as the president of Mexico, and then you have Donald Trump saying that Nikki Haley is Nancy Pelosi, you’ve got a problem.” 

“But if you’re basing on character,” Manchin said, “I think it’s a no-brainer.”

Manchin then clarified that he meant Biden was the better of the two.