In a recent interview, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who is set to retire in November, hinted at withholding his support for President Biden in the upcoming election. When asked by MSNBC’s Katy Tur about endorsing Biden, Manchin suggested that Biden needs to take action on certain issues, particularly immigration.
Manchin expressed concern over the administration’s handling of the border situation, stating, “I think he needs to move. I really do. I think the people want [him] to say, we made a mistake at the border, a big mistake at the border, but he’s willing to fix it.” He referenced a failed Senate immigration deal that aimed to address border security but was ultimately rejected. Manchin criticized former President Trump for interfering with potential solutions and urged Biden to declare a national emergency if Congress fails to act.
Manchin’s comments highlight growing discontent within the Democratic Party, particularly regarding immigration policies. As a pivotal swing vote in the Senate, his stance could influence the Biden administration’s approach to key issues leading up to the election.
“Well, first of all, if you want to blame Joe Biden, it’s his fault for what happened, but he did it [in] a sympathetic way, basically empathetic towards what was happening after a pandemic. He tried, and he saw we were getting overrun, we should have shut it down,” Manchin responded.
“So, now he comes to an agreement…a border security bill, that would work, and Donald Trump moves in and says, oh, I’m sorry, I can’t do that, because it’s not good for my campaign or my politics, let’s wait. That’s as bad, if not worse, than making a mistake [in] the beginning. So, with that, I said, okay, let’s fix it. I’m begging him now, if this can’t be fixed in Congress, to basically do and declare a national emergency, because the border is of a national concern and a national emergency.”
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