Joe Manchin leaves the Democratic Party
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has just become the latest member of the U.S. Senate to leave the Democratic Party.
Manchin has released several statements on his decision to become an independent, including one statement that he posted to his X account and another that he posted to his official website.
The big questions, of course, are "why?" and "why now?"
One cannot help but recognize that Manchin decided to switch parties after former President Donald Trump's guilty verdict, which raises the question of whether the two events are related.
Here's what Manchin has had to say:
Manchin says that he is leaving the Democratic Party because, in his view, it is necessary to bring Americans together.
"From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what’s best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics. Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am. It’s who I will always be. I have never seen America through a partisan lens," Manchin wrote in his press release.
He added:
However, since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy. Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”
Manchin reiterated this in a message that he posted to his X account.
There, he wrote:
Let’s work together to fix America. Don’t hate the other side. There’s only one side - the American side - and we have to work together to save our country. That’s why I changed my party registration to no party affiliation.
What now?
Manchin's decision to become an independent means that, technically speaking, the Democrats will lose their small majority in the U.S. Senate.
But, Manchin is still expected to caucus with the Senate Democrats. So, Manchin's decision will probably not change a whole lot in the Senate.
It is also worth noting that Manchin is getting ready to exit the Senate altogether.
There has been much speculation about what he could do next.
The Daily Mail reports, "Manchin said he would not run for re-election and said he supported Democrat Steve Williams for governor [of West Virginia], but running as an independent could be a workaround."
