Manchin, ‘with heavy heart,’ calls on Biden to end his presidential campaign

Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday called on Joe Biden to end his reelection campaign and “pass the torch to a new generation,” the latest domino to fall in a broader Democratic upheaval over the president’s ability to win in November.

“He will leave a legacy unlike many people, as one of the best and truly a [patriotic] “He’s an American,” Manchin said. “So it’s with a heavy heart that I think the time has come for him to pass the torch to a new generation.”

Manchin, IW.Va., who is part of the Democratic caucus but left the party earlier this year, told “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz that the wave of Democrats making similar calls after last month’s debate made the current situation untenable for Biden.

“The first week after the debate, I thought the president needed time to assess and make a decision whether he was going to do it at that point, and then I thought, well, we’ll hear from my colleagues who are in very difficult, difficult areas of the country, whether it’s in Congress, in terms of their districts, or in the states, in terms of my senators, and they’re speaking out now. And then when you see the donor class, basically, speaking out and saying they’ve gone in a different direction, if you will,” he said.

Manchin argued that withdrawing now would allow Biden to tackle a litany of issues he has prioritized, including unifying the country, ending the fighting in Gaza and helping Ukraine repel a Russian invasion, in addition to being “able to show the rest of the world the orderly transfer of power of the world’s superpower.”

Concerns about Biden’s electoral future grew after last month’s debate, in which Biden offered a blank stare and sometimes incoherent answers.

Manchin said he had seen nothing in his personal interactions with Biden that would worry him about the president’s mental acuity, but conceded that “it’s concerning when you watch it” on the campaign trail, though the two have not spoken in the past three weeks.

The West Virginian added that he still believes Biden could finish his term, noting that while a national campaign has an “incredible” impact, “he can finish this job that he started and finish it the way he wanted to.”

Still, Biden has remained adamant about his decision to stay in the race, despite calls from more than 35 lawmakers to step down, a number that continues to grow. And as he hangs on, he retains defenders on Capitol Hill.

Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who has campaigned across the country for Biden, warned that pressure on the president to step down could anger some voters.

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“One of the things we underestimate is that Joe Biden actually has a coalition, African-American women, working-class people, senior citizens who voted for him, and if he feels intimidated, those voters will feel intimidated. So that’s his decision,” Khanna told Raddatz on “This Week” Sunday. “You can’t have somebody design a ticket after the fact that doesn’t fit the Democratic primary electorate.”

Khanna then discussed Biden’s accomplishments, including massive infrastructure investments, and noted that despite long-standing concerns about the president’s age, no big-name candidate has selected him.

“It’s up to him to decide what he wants to do, and I trust him. I trust his patriotism to make the right decision. And there’s a process in this country. If you want to run for president, go get votes in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada,” Khanna said.

If Biden were to step down, it is unclear what would happen next.

Some within the party say Vice President Kamala Harris would be the next front-runner for the nomination, but others insist a more open process would benefit the party.

“Healthy competition is what matters,” Manchin said Sunday. “That’s why I think it should be an open process.”

Asked whether Harris could win, Manchin said “the process will show” whether or not she could, though he cited Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as two Democrats who have been able to govern effectively in red and purple states — and who have also been mentioned as potential future presidential contenders.

“There are a lot of good people. I want to support anybody who can pass a comprehensive proposal,” Manchin said.

Khanna, meanwhile, said he was confident Harris would have an advantage given his current place on the national ticket.

“I think the vice president would win that vote,” he said Sunday. “I don’t think many people would challenge her. I mean, these are Biden-Harris delegates. This is not an open primary. I think if it were an open primary, there should be a lot of candidates.”