Senator Joe Manchin made headlines on Sunday when he called on President Joe Biden to exit the race against former President Donald Trump. This decision, according to Manchin, was made with a heavy heart and a belief that it is time to pass the torch to a new generation.
During his appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Manchin not only suggested that it was time for Biden to step aside, but also called for an open nomination process. He put forward Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as potential contenders, a move that contrasts with others who believe Vice President Kamala Harris is the favorite to take over the top of the ticket.
The pressure campaign on Biden to drop his reelection bid has been growing, particularly since his debate disaster against Trump in June. Along with Manchin, 36 Democratic lawmakers, including four senators, have joined the call for Biden to exit the race and make way for a new nominee.
Manchin has been vocal about his slipping support for Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee. Following the attempted assassination of Trump at his Pennsylvania rally, Manchin released a statement condemning political violence and voicing concerns about the vulnerabilities of the Democratic Party with Biden at the helm.
Throughout the Biden administration, Manchin has positioned himself as a conservative Democrat, at times opposing key parts of the president’s agenda. Despite speculation earlier in the election cycle that he might launch his own bid for the White House as an independent, Manchin ultimately announced that he would not run for Senate reelection and would not pursue a third-party campaign.
Senator Joe Manchin’s call for President Biden to drop his reelection bid marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate within the Democratic Party about its leadership and future direction. Manchin’s critique of Biden’s debate performance and his concerns about the party’s ability to appeal to a broader swath of Americans highlight the challenges facing Democrats as they head towards the 2024 election. It remains to be seen how Biden will respond to this pressure and whether he will indeed pass the torch to a new generation as Senator Manchin has suggested.
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