West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is considering re-register as a democrat to be able to run for president.
Fox News confirmed that Manchin, who left the Democratic Party in May and registered as an independent, said Sunday that he is considering re-registering with his original party and running for president.
Manchin said He was considering switching parties and running for president, “if only to have the discussion of bringing the party back to the center,” Fox News' Bret Baier posted on X.
Earlier on Sunday, Manchin called on Biden to step aside.
WEST VIRGINIA SENATOR JOE MANCHIN LEAVES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, REGISTERED AS INDEPENDENT
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is considering returning to the Democratic Party and running for president. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
“He's going to leave a legacy that not many people will leave behind: one of the best and certainly a patriot, an American,” Manchin said of Biden during an appearance on ABC News' “This Week.” “And so it makes me very sad to think that the time has come for him to pass the torch to a new generation.”
Manchin changed his party This year he switched from Democrat to independent, although he still caucuses with Democrats in the Senate.
In the three weeks since Biden's disastrous debate performance against former President Trump, Manchin said he “believed the president needed time to evaluate and make a decision if he was going to do it at that point.” The senator also acknowledged that his Democratic colleagues facing competitive congressional or state-level races in November fear Biden's reelection campaign could derail their chances.
Joe Manchin faces pressure over last-minute bid to secure crucial seat for Democrats
President Biden announced Sunday that he will not seek re-election to another four years in the White House. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The senator privately expressed deep concern to Biden allies including Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., immediately after the debate but decided to cancel his scheduled appearances on Sunday’s shows, Politico previously reported. In doing so, Manchin reportedly intended to give Biden time to decide the matter on his own, but the senator changed his mind.
Manchin's surprise decision to switch from Democrat to independent in May came amid reports that he was being encouraged to run for governor of West Virginia by moderate Republicans unhappy with the party's nominee, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. It also came before the deadline to file as an independent in West Virginia.
Asked about those reports in late May, Manchin downplayed the rumors but did not dismiss them. He said the Democratic candidate, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, is a friend.
FORCING PRESIDENT BIDEN TO RESIGN FROM THE CAMPAIGN MAY HAVE BEEN MORE OF A CONGRESS MATTER THAN A WHITE HOUSE MATTER
Vice President Kamala Harris could become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee after Biden announced Sunday that he was dropping out of the race. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye)
West Virginia newspaper MetroNews reported that sources “close” to the senator said that at least 20 Republicans “with financial resources” have encouraged Manchin to run for governor.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
According to WVMetroNews, since that report was published, Manchin has been bombarded by people urging him to run for office at an event at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs. The Greenbrier is owned by the state’s current governor, Democrat-turned-Republican Jim Justice, who is term-limited and now the GOP’s Senate nominee to replace Manchin.
Fox News' Aishah Hasnie and Fox News Digital's Julia Johnson and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
