Sen. Joe Manchin (IW.V.) bid farewell to the Democratic Party as he prepares to leave office at the end of his term in Congress, calling his predecessor’s party “toxic.”
Manchin, a lifelong Democrat before registering as an independent earlier this year, slammed Democrats in an interview on CNN’s “Inside Politics with Manu Raju” that aired Sunday.
“The D brand has been very maligned in terms of being toxic,” Manchin said, adding that he left the party because he thought he was “no longer a Democrat in a way that the Democratic Party has changed itself.” he added. ”
Manchin said progressive lawmakers are shifting their party’s brand away from issues like securing good jobs and good wages for Americans and instead focusing on transgender rights and what Americans can and cannot do. They criticized the focus on sensitive social issues such as communication.
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Manchin left the Democratic Party earlier this year and registered as an independent. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images, File)
“They’ve basically extended this idea of, ‘We want to protect you there, but from there we’re going to tell you how to live your life,'” Manchin, a Democrat, said. talked about.
He argued that progressives in Washington, D.C., are out of touch with the American people, saying, “This country will not move to the left.”
Mr. Manchin has often been a key swing vote in the Senate. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images, File)
But in addition to criticizing Democrats, Manchin accused Republicans of being “too extreme” on gun issues and lacking common sense.
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“We’re not going to ban people from buying guns, but we’re going to have to show some level of responsibility,” Manchin said of guns.
“That’s why Democrats have gone too far and want to ban it,” Manchin said. “Republicans say, ‘Oh, let’s have a good time. Everybody can get whatever they want.’ There’s some common sense there.”
Manchin, often a key swing vote, was known for his moderate approach and bipartisan approach to national issues in the Senate.
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Mr. Manchin served in the Senate for 14 years. His political career began in the early 1980s as a state representative and was elected to the state senate until the late 1990s. Manchin was elected governor of West Virginia in 2005 after serving as secretary of state for four years.
Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.
