Manchin Told Biden He Would Ditch Dem Party If It Was ‘Embarrassing’ to Have a Moderate ‘In the Mix’
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) says he has not threatened to leave the Democratic Party, but has offered to if it would “help” the party “publicly.” Manchin insisted that a report that he was considering leaving the…

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) says he has not threatened to leave the Democratic Party, but has offered to if it would “help” the party “publicly.”
Manchin insisted that a report that he was considering leaving the Democratic Party if his demands on a $3.5 trillion spending bill were not met is “simply untrue.”
“I’m not threatening to leave. Why would I? I’m very secure in my positions, and honestly, I’m not the one stressed out,” he told The Hill.
Instead, Manchin said, “What is true is that I have told the president, Chuck Schumer, and even the whole caucus that if it is ‘embarrassing’ to them to have a moderate, centrist Democrat in the mix and if it would help them publicly, I could become an Independent — like Bernie — and then they could explain some of this to the public saying it’s complicated to corral these two Independents, Bernie and me.”
There are 48 Democratic senators and two independents Sens. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Angus King (Maine), who caucus with the Democrats, giving them control of the Senate.
Manchin’s comments come a day after a report from Mother Jones claimed he was considering switching parties “if President Joe Biden


