Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said during the Texas Tribune Festival this week that it would be a danger to reelect former President Donald Trump and that the Republican Party is sliding towards an “autocracy.”
Manchin spoke with Evan Smith, the cofounder and senior adviser for the Texas Tribune, about why he has not flirted with becoming a Republican as he continues to ponder if he should run for reelection or run for president as an independent.
After giving his critique of the Democrat party, he said that he has many dear friends in the Republican Party; however, he lamented the GOP is becoming “drawn” to Trump and “engulfed” in his and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
He then proceeded to say it is a “shame” that many Republicans are running for president as “Trumpism without Trump” and described the Republican Party as an autocracy.
Smith asked Manchin, “Do you believe it would be a danger to reelect him [Trump].”
Manchin responded, “Oh yes!”
Manchin’s sharp rebuke of Trump, the MAGA movement, and the Republican Party follows as Trump carried the Mountain State by 38 points.
Manchin continues to flirt with running for president as a third-party candidate under the No Labels ticket.
On June 30, Manchin was seen partying with billionaires at the mansion of Washington Post heiress Lally Weymouth.
Breitbart News reported at the time:
The party featured some of the wealthiest and most powerful members of the elite, including Julia Koch, the world’s second wealthiest woman according to Forbes, with an estimated net worth of $58.2 billion, as well as Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black, Martha Stewart, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), former New York Police Department (NYPD) boss Ray Kelly, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and several foreign dignitaries.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
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