Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said Monday that he did not foresee leaving the Democratic Party.
Manchin told Fox News anchor Bret Baier that, despite a few key policy differences with some of the more vocal members of his party, he still believed that the Democratic Party was his home. (RELATED: ‘This Is So Ill-Advised’: Joe Manchin Pans Impeachment Effort, Says The Votes Just Aren’t There)
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Manchin reaffirmed his own position on issues like defunding the police, Medicare for all, and getting rid of the filibuster — he opposed all three. “We can’t even pay for Medicare for some,” he said.
“I’ve been in the minority and we’ve had very little input and I intend to work with my minority partners for them to have input,” Manchin added, saying that he felt like it was his job to work for bipartisan solutions, and that was what he intended to do.
“If the pressure was too great from Democrats on that front, would you become an independent?” Baier pressed, but Manchin appeared unconcerned.
“I don’t think the Democrats will throw me out, do you think?” Manchin explained that he was an “old West Virginia Democrat,” saying that he loved being able to work with Republicans in his state and thought they felt the same way.
“But the pressure — I’m too old to be pressured. My goodness, what are they going to do to me?” Manchin asked. “I love my country. I love the process we have. I want the democracy to work.”
“I respect my Republicans, my friends, and I … tried like the dickens to work with the president for three years,” he concluded. “I always want my president to succeed, and I want Joe Biden to succeed. I’ll do everything I can and I would like to think my Republican colleagues feel the same.”