'I’m not going to be a spoiler': Sen Joe Manchin says he is open to possibilities for 2024 White House bid on 'Fox & Friends'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin joined co-host Brian Kilmeade on the January 17 episode of 'Fox & Friends' to talk about bringing President Joe Biden "back to the center," as well as his stance on being a presidential nominee for the bipartisan group, 'No Labels'.
The Democratic politician also addressed being swarmed by far-left climate activists for his take on clean energy issues, during his appearance on the morning show.
On the topic of running on bipartisan ticket
Co-host Kilmeade wondered if Manchin, who has already declared that he would not be seeking a third term in the US Senate, would run for President on a 'No Labels' ticket if indeed there is a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in 2024.
"Let's see what happens," was Muchin's response, neither confirming nor shutting down the possibility of him throwing his hat in the ring.
"If (No Labels) get on the ballots and you are their nominee, do you believe you'd win?" asked the co-host, to which Manchin replied, "Well, I’m not going to be a spoiler."
"If there is a pathway forward, I’ve always been involved and very competitive, I would get involved. I'm going to definitely want to win and I'm going to fight to win. I'm not going to go in there just trying to harm somebody or help somebody else. I want to make sure we create a different option bringing people together," he stated.
The political allies of Joe Biden have long claimed that a third-party candidate would potentially siphon away votes from the Democrats, and make it easier for Donald Trump to be re-elected president.
Manchin later added, "I think no matter who your president is, whether you're for him or against him, same party or not, you want your president to succeed. I think President Biden has been pushed too far to the left… He should be coming back to the center or center-left, which is where we make most of our decisions. That's where the economy is, that's where the country is."
Getting confronted by climate activists at diner
The moderate politician shared his experience of being swarmed by members of the organization, 'Climate Defiance', in the latest case of him taking heat from activists over his energy stances. The group chanted slogans about ending fossil fuel reliance, with one activist even jumping in front of Manchin's car.
"They're paid activists, the same group is there everywhere I go," Manchin told Kilmeade. "I understand, and I try to talk to them. They don't want to listen."
"I said we are providing more secure energy today and investing in the energy of the future… It's just the way they are. They have one goal and one goal only, and that's the rights of Americans, but they don't have the right to come in private establishments… I don't see them being harmful. They're just very loud and boisterous and want to be disruptive. They don't want to hear."
The United States was investing in new, carbon-free technologies while also not destroying the fossil fuel industry, said the Senator, adding, "You cannot eliminate your way to a clean environment. You can innovate it through technology."
