(NationRise.com) – West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin revealed on February 15 that if he eventually decides to run for president, he would officially ask Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney to be his running mate. During an interview with NBC News after a breakfast event in Cleveland, the liberal leader said that one of the reasons why he would pick the former presidential candidate is that he’s not running for re-election.
Manchin also explained that he would consider former Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman for the position. However, he stated that far from running “for anything” in particular, he would start his presidential campaign to try “to get people involved.”
Over the last few months, Romney and Manchin have been making jokes about joining forces to become a presidential alternative. During a February 12 Senate vote, Romney said while walking with the liberal leader that they were both “a team.” Manchin agreed and noted that Romney didn’t want to be the “not-stupid party,” to which the Republican replied in a humorous manner that they were going to take a “cognitive test.”
During his appearance at the breakfast event, Manchin criticized US President Joe Biden, saying that the commander-in-chief had gone too “far to the left.” He also accused him of being the main responsible for the border crisis that the United States has been experiencing over the last few years.
While he attacked President Biden because of his age, he admitted he has no issues communicating with him or with former President and presidential candidate Donald Trump. However, Manchin said he wouldn’t have any doubt in voting for the liberal leader over the former commander-in-chief.
The breakfast event at Cleveland was part of Manchin’s “listening tour,” which he’s making all across the country. The tour included a stop in New Hampshire in January before its presidential primary, which fueled speculations about a hypothetical third-party or independent bid for the White House.
The very next day after his NBC interview, Manchin gave a speech at West Virginia University stating that he would not be launching a bid for the White House in 2024. The retiring Democrat intends to instead focus on Americans Together, a new group promoting moderate politics.
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