Manchin Passes on Chance to Endorse Biden

Last weekend, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin declined to say whether he identified as a Democrat. This weekend, he declined to endorse President Biden, at least for now. "Let's see who all the players are," he responded when asked the question on CBS' Face the Nation. And apparently, one of those players might be Manchin himself. The West Virginia lawmaker did not rule out the possibility of running for president, reports the Wall Street Journal. “I’m not taking anything off the table. And I’m not putting anything on the table."

The 75-year-old Manchin said he would decide his political future, including whether he will run for reelection to the Senate, in December, per the Hill. His reluctance to spout party loyalty illustrates the dicey political situation he is in—a Democrat up for reelection in a state won by former President Trump by nearly 40 points in 2020. In fact, the Journal notes that West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice treads similar water: He is a Republican who used to be a Democrat as recently as 2017—and Justice is considering a run for Senate next year.