Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) made clear Monday that he doesn’t intend to endorse a presidential candidate “right now” as he moves forward with a focus on centrist politics.
Asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins if he planned to endorse President Biden, Manchin said, “I’m not endorsing anybody right now. We’re going to see what all happens.”
“We still got plenty of time here,” he continued. “I’m going to do everything I can to help move them back to the middle and show them where the strength of this country lies, where the voting bloc of the country lies.”
Questioned on what it would mean if the Democratic senator didn’t put his support behind the president, he said his focus was on the center.
“I’m just … trying to do everything I can to make sure that we have a pathway forward where the center of this country is going to be represented,” Manchin replied. “And that’s the center-left and center-right.”
Manchin added later that the country is witnessing “extremes,” and he pointed to former President Trump on the Republican side as an example.
“I still believe there’s enough good Republicans and Democrats that want this centrist type of approach to governing,” he said.
Asked what he will do if November brings a rematch of Biden and Trump on the ticket, Manchin kept his cards close to his chest.
“Well, we’ll just have to see what happens. It’s a long time before that happens,” the senator argued. “Right now, there might be other people getting in. There are still independents.”
“You just might have still a third-party run from No Labels,” he added. “And we’ll just see what opportunities and what type of options you have.”
His remarks come just days after he announced Friday he would not be jumping into the race, putting a halt to swirling speculation that he would launch a third-party bid.
Manchin said in his decision that he plans to be “involved” in ensuring “we secure a president that has the knowledge and has the passion and has the ability to bring this country together.”
Collins touched upon his statement Monday, asking Manchin if Biden is the candidate with the three qualities mentioned.
“That’s the Joe Biden I used to know. I mean … I’ve had this conversation with him, and with his people that he’s gone too far to the left. They’ve pushed him, and pulled him, and whatever,” the senator replied. “But that’s not where America is. That’s not where our country is.”
“So, I’m hoping the Joe Biden that we saw in 2020 will be the Joe Biden we see in 2024, if that can be done,” he said added. “If not, it’s going to be a long road for everybody.”
Manchin, one of the most moderate Democrats in the Senate, announced in November that he will not seek reelection in the upper chamber and pledged to use the time to gauge voters’ interest “in creating a movement to mobilize the middle.”
In December, he launched Americans Together, an organization working against political extremism.