Joe Manchin spurs debate as Democrats rush to stop him from asking Biden to drop out after dismal debate

WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Joe Manchin had intended to publicly urge President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race after his lackluster debate performance last week, but top Democrats found out and convinced him not to do so, as a growing number of White House officials are reportedly "freaking the f**k out."

The former West Virginia Democrat, who recently criticized "partisan extremism" in national politics and removed himself from the Democratic Party by registering as an independent, had confided in his allies that he intended to utilize a TV news appearance on Sunday to demand that the 81-year-old incumbent withdraws from his re-election campaign, according to the New York Post.

Senior Democrats, however, swiftly organized a “full-court press” to prevent him from becoming the first prominent elected official allied with the party to break from Joe Biden's side.

Sen Manchin, who still caucuses with the Democratic Party, ultimately gave in and canceled the planned appearance, per insiders.

"Nobody wants to be the first one to knife Julius Caesar," a party official said.

Who are the Democrats who dissuaded Joe Manchin from asking Joe Biden to drop out?

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was one of the individuals who spoke with Sen Manchin over the phone during the weekend.

Despite reports suggesting otherwise, one source claimed that their conversation occurred only after Manchin had already made the decision not to appear on TV.

In response to the reports, Jonathan Kott, a senior political adviser to Sen Manchin, stated, "Joe Manchin talks to lots of people because he wants to get different views and political perspectives.”

“When he has something to say, you’ll hear it directly from him, and trust me, there’s nobody that can talk him out of speaking his mind.”

The 76-year-old West Virginia lawmaker was originally slated to make an appearance on MSNBC's 'The Sunday Show With Jonathan Capehart', as per a source cited by Politico.

Despite attempts to dissuade Sen Manchin, Rep Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) ultimately became the first sitting House Democrat to publicly call for President Joe Biden to step aside in the wake of the disastrous debate outing.

Doggett commended Biden's record as Commander-in-Chief, but emphasized that “many Americans have indicated dissatisfaction with their choices in this election.”

“I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same,” Doggett remarked.

Meanwhile, several Democratic lawmakers have privately voiced doubts regarding President Biden's candidacy and have expressed indignation toward his campaign following his abysmal debate performance.

Staff members from the White House and Biden's campaign are also reported to be feeling frustrated, as one official told Axios, “Everyone is freaking the f**k out.”

“It's the first topic of every conversation," a White House official mentioned, "senior leadership has given us nothing. To act like it’s business as usual is delusional.”

An additional White House staffer stated, “The uncertainty after Thursday is palpable and anxiety is only increasing… People are looking for leadership and direction that they were told to trust, and hoped was there, but aren’t yet feeling in what is now clearly a defining moment for this presidency.”

Internet divided as Democrats rush to stop Joe Manchin from asking Joe Biden to drop out

People online lambasted the Democratic party after senior Democrats scrambled to prevent Sen Joe Manchin from coming out publically to urge President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. 

One person remarked, "I would take Manchin over Biden, Harris, or any other Dem. If we have to have a Dem in-charge is is better then any of the others. He needs to come out and speak his mind even if it cost him with the Dems."

Another person wrote, "I've always thought Manchin was a sensible politician. we could use more like him."

Another person claimed, "Democrats will never do the right thing for the country. Its always party first then America. Voters should learn from these actions and vote straight Republican."

One person said, "This just shows Joe Manchin puts politics and relationships above the country. The right thing to do was to ask that a demented man step down from the presidency, but he backed out of doing it after “phone calls.”"

Another person asserted, "It’s sad when a party only cares about their own personal interests, but not about the people they say they represent."

Someone else commented, "No matter what Biden or the Democrats do, they are having to deal with the problem and issues of Their Own Making; they have endangered and continue to endanger our Great Nation, the United States of America."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.