The following is a transcript of an interview with Sen. Joe Manchin, Democrat of West Virginia, on “Face the Nation” that aired on July 21, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We also have here in person Independent Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia. Good to see you, Senator.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: Good to be with you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You made headlines this morning, Senator, saying it was time for Joe Biden to pass the torch. Did he know you were going to say that publicly?
SENATOR MANCHIN: They were briefed. I want to start by explaining how we got here. For three weeks, I didn’t say anything because after the debate, I thought the president had to deal with this issue and it took a week. I thought there might be some movement. And then for the next two weeks, I was hearing from my colleagues across the country, from Congress to congressional districts to senators’ states who are in really tough areas. You’re hearing from them now about their concerns about the ballots and how it might affect them. And on top of that, you have the donor class, which is very reserved right now. That said, and I say this with a very heavy heart, I wish President Biden could finish his five months in office, really leading this country, the way I know we can. I’ve known him for many, many years. He’s a good man, he wants to do the right thing, he’s a patriot, he wants to do what’s right. He wants to heal and bring people together. And if he were to pass the torch at this point, he could focus all of his energy over the next five months on how do we heal? How do we stop the fighting in Gaza? How do we get a peace treaty? How do we support Ukraine so that they can have a strong position at the negotiating table? That’s what needs to be done and show the rest of the world how the world’s superpower is capable of transferring power and doing it in a way that’s most beneficial to the entire world.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But Republicans are saying that if he can’t run for reelection, he can’t even stay in office for the next five months…
SENATOR MANCHIN: Let me say about reelection…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you think he’s capable of serving the next five months?
SENATOR MANCHIN: Congressman Turner and I both understand that the rigors of a campaign are tough. I’ve been on statewide campaigns, he’s in a big region and a big district. These campaigns are tough and they’re expensive. The president has to be the president. Okay. But being in campaign mode every day, being in campaign mode every day thinking about what the next speech is going to be, what your next fundraiser is going to be, takes you away from the needs that we have in the world today. And in our country. I truly believe that he can do it. And I believe that he can do it better than anyone else, and leave a legacy that is unmatched. That’s what I know can be done and that needs to be done. And I’m hopeful that that torch will be passed to a new generation to allow President Biden to be the president that I know he is and that he can be. We have our disagreements, we go back and forth. And – but I have – I have every confidence in what he can do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How much time do Democrats have to deal with this issue?
SENATOR MANCHIN: I think the clock is very short. I mean, if it plays out in the camp, in the convention itself, it changes the whole dynamic. But before the convention, I think it could be an open primary process and let the cream rise. I have two governors in my area. I have Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and I have Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania, both of them working in tough areas, both of them able to work with a legislature that doesn’t have its own party, not demonize anybody who has an R next to their name because they have a D next to their name, and bring their states together and make progress. Let’s hear from some of the rising stars of this new generation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party. If you ignore Vice President Kamala Harris, doesn’t that undermine…
[CROSSTALK]
SENATOR MANCHIN: It’s not about race and gender, Margaret–
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, but it’s a question of votes, of turnout.
SENATOR MANCHIN: Okay. But the fact is that 51 percent of the people who participate in the electoral process in the United States are registered independents. They’re not registered Democrats or Republicans. Only 25 percent are Republicans and 23 percent are Democrats. These are people who want to get issues resolved. So worrying about whose agenda you are and what race you are, aside from the issues, how do they lose Democrats like me, Margaret? As a lifelong Democrat from West Virginia, I was raised in a family and I also understood that it’s not my enemy on the other side, Democrats, we are fundamentally accountable. We are fundamentally fiscally responsible and socially compassionate. And I don’t believe that government should be your provider…
MARGARET BRENNAN: If you go through this open process before the convention and Kamala Harris, the vice president, is nominated, would you be able to support her?
SENATOR MANCHIN: It depends on the policies. I want to see the platform change.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Would you con- would you consider-
SENATOR MANCHIN: Sure, I would consider…
MARGARET BRENNAN: To a vice presidential position on this ticket?
SENATOR MANCHIN: It’s not – No, forget me –
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re not going to run?
SENATOR MANCHIN: No, this is a new generation, Margaret. We have a lot of senior people to keep, and they have proven themselves by being in leadership positions. Give them a chance to rise. Give President Biden a chance to do what he can really do. You see, I think presidents only get one six-year term. I don’t think there’s ever been a re-election. And why do you need a president from day one until the day he leaves office? So
MARGARET BRENNAN: Last night in Michigan, here’s what Donald Trump had to say about the Democrats’ disarray.
VOSOT DONALD TRUMP: They have two problems. First, they have no idea who the candidate is. And we’re also not interested in the fact that this guy is going to get the votes and now they want to take them away. That’s democracy. They talk about democracy. Let’s take it away from them.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you concerned that by speaking out publicly and not addressing this issue sooner, Democrats are not only hurting their own nominee but also harming confidence in the process?
SENATOR MANCHIN: Well, first of all…
MARGARET BRENNAN: There was a primary.
SENATOR MANCHIN: Let me say this, first of all, that we saw that the Denver convention for the Republicans did a tremendous job for four days. A perfect script, a tremendous job of unity. And then President Trump spoke in the last hour of his speech, never wavered. So I am still concerned about the orderly transfer of power. I know that January 6th was real. I am concerned that he continues to attack our justice system and the rule of law, I have all those same concerns that I had, and I am also concerned that he is sending signals that he may not be there to help the freedom-loving countries that are our allies and our NATO allies and the people who are counting on us to have that leadership of freedom and to be there for them. Those are my concerns based on what I have heard and nothing has changed.
MARGARET BRENNAN: JD Vance comes from a similar part of the country to you, and he made a virtue of that by saying he was going to campaign in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Tell us about his Appalachian roots. And he presents himself as the most pro-union Republican in Congress. He’s a corporate critic. Do you think that’s authentic? And will it work?
SENATOR MANCHIN: JD, I’ve always said I’ve got to use everybody you send me from your state. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they succeed. And we all succeed. I haven’t had a lot of experience with JD because he hasn’t been here very long. He seemed like a very nice person. We have banter when we’re together and everything. I came, not only my roots, my whole tire orchard is all about West Virginia. That’s who I am. So when I see that I was asked one time about my Democratic colleagues, they asked me, So Joe, what happened to the Democrats in West Virginia? I didn’t say anything. They wonder what happened to the Democrats in Washington. We did everything you asked of us in West Virginia, we mined the coal, made the steel, made their guns and shipped them, we had more people, they gave their blood, and life sustains our country patriotically. And now we’re not good enough. We’re not smart enough. And we’re not green enough. What happened? We’re the people that helped build this country, we can’t leave anyone behind. That’s why I’m not, because I believe that the far left of the Democratic Party has really taken over the party that I knew, and they’ve conquered it and won it. I want to see that party come back. They should try to get back the 51% of independents like me that left.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And you think Beshear and Shapiro are the two best choices that amplify that message?
SENATOR MANCHIN: I’ve seen both of these people operate in very difficult situations and do it successfully, without demonizing and preserving the integrity of their state. To me, that’s an accomplishment. That’s what we’re looking for. And that’s what America wants: a reasonable, moderate center, they want fundamentally what we are. We don’t live that way. How… Why is it 51 percent of the American population? I’m not affiliated with any party, there’s something wrong. And you better play on that principle, because you’re not going to win with 23 or 25 percent.
MARGARET BRENNAN: If that change doesn’t happen, and all the reporting today is that President Biden is entrenched here, will you be able to support him?
SENATOR MANCHIN: I repeat that I am not endorsing or supporting anyone at this time until…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you going to vote?
SENATOR MANCHIN: Oh, I still vote, I still vote. And I’ll make that decision when I get to the polls. But I would like to see some movement toward a reasonable middle ground. And I’ve been saying this for a long time. I’m waiting for my friend Joe Biden, who I’ve known forever. You could always make a deal. You could always sit down, he brought people together. He always made a deal. I know that, and I’ve worked on this for many years. That’s what I’m looking for…
MARGARET BRENNAN: But now you can’t get hold of him? [CROSS TALK]
SENATOR MANCHIN: What I mean is, when you have Bernie Sanders on one side and Joe Manchin on the other side, there’s a big divide, a huge divide. We have to bridge those divides. We respect each other. We should be able to come together, but it can’t just be one way or the other.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Manchin. Thank you.
SENATOR MANCHIN: It’s always nice to be with you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Face the Nation will be back in a minute. Stay tuned.