Sen. Joe Manchin declined to give his endorsement of President Biden if he becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, telling CBS’s “Face the Nation” he wants to see “who all the players are.”
Manchin, who along with Arizona’s independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema often serves as a roadblock to leftist proposals in Congress, offered little insight on Sunday as he faced a flurry of questions regarding his plans, including possible presidential aspirations.
“Are you going to endorse Joe Biden if he runs re-election?” host Margaret Brennan asked the West Virginia Democrat.
“There’s plenty of time for the election. This is the problem with America right now. We start an election every time there’s a cycle coming up,” Manchin said. “The bottom line is, let’s see who’s involved. Let’s wait until we see who all the players are. Let’s just wait until it all comes out.”
Manchin also wouldn’t disclose what his plans are come 2024 and whether he intends to run for reelection.
The senator, up for re-election in 2024, is keeping his options open. When moderator Margaret Brennan claimed Manchin ruled out a presidential run, the senator responded with a denial.
“I didn’t say that. I didn’t say anything about that,” he said.
“My main purpose right now is to work for my country and my state,” he said. “I’m not going to make my announcement for anything until the end of the year. I’m not going to make my decision about what my political position is going to be, or [what] I’m going to do for my political future. I’ve got too much to do now.”
The interview comes after Manchin declined to describe himself as a Democrat when asked. “I identify as an American,” Manchin recently told Fox News. “I’m an American through and through.”
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