'Quitter says what?': Internet mocks Sen Joe Manchin for claiming Joe Biden's reelection is in jeopardy

WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Joe Manchin criticized President Joe Biden for risking his White House re-election bid by allowing his staff to push him toward more left-leaning policies, reported Politico.

Speaking at POLITICO's 2024 Health Care Summitt in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, March 13, the Democratic Senator from West Virginia said, "He's [Biden] been pushed so far left it's unbelievable."

"I have been raising hell from day one. This is not how you're going to get reelected," Manchin, who recently denied a third-party run against Biden and his GOP opponent, ex-president Donald Trump, said.

In early February, House Speaker Mike Johnson also slammed Biden for his staff's influence over him. The Republican speaker's criticism stemmed from the president not taking executive action to address the illegal immigrant influx at the southern border. Johnson claimed the staff around Biden pushed him to keep the border open.

The 81-year-old incumbent secured the Democratic nomination on March 12, while his predecessor also grabbed the Republican nomination the same day, leading to a Biden-Trump rematch in November.

Sen Joe Manchin on Joe Biden's handling of fentanyl crisis and border

Speaking at the Summitt, the Democrat Congressman also took a swipe at the way President Biden is managing the fentanyl crisis and the border.

According to Manchin, the Food and Drug Administration is partially responsible for the record-high fentanyl overdose cases in the country. Synthetic drug consumption grew during Covid-19, leading to more than 100,000 overdose deaths in 2021 alone, as per the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"The FDA started it. They keep bringing more products," the Senator said, accusing the agency's approval of prescription opioids, which was the first step in the crisis.

The West Virginia Senator, who recently vowed to support the next president, irrespective of political affiliation, also criticized Biden's failure to secure the southern border. He cited that the massive influx of undocumented migrants into the country contributed to the fentanyl deaths.

"We know that the precursors are coming from China. We know that they go into Mexico. You can't stand by and let it continue to kill Americans," Manchin said.

The Senator also promoted his bipartisan Life Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment (LifeBOAT) Act that he introduced along with GOP Sen. Mitt Romney. The legislation aims to set a 1-cent stewardship fee on each milligram of active opioid ingredient in a prescription pain pill.

Internet ridicules Sen Joe Manchin

Manchin faced intense online mockery over his criticisms against Biden's re-election bid. Many social media users pointed at his decision to not run for re-election in his Senate seat in November.

One user labeled his remarks as "Wishful thinking."

"Difficult to hush up Manchin?" another person mockingly questioned. While a third user said, "He desperately wants to be relevant."

A fourth response read, "Says the human roadblock." 

"Given that Machin is always wrong, I feel much better now," someone else quipped.

An individual wrote, "Quitter says what?" Another asked, "Who’s the guy NOT running for reelection this year?"

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.