Former West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin stated on CBS’ Face the Nation that he would never support a self-described socialist candidate, criticizing their policy proposals as extreme and impractical. Manchin’s remarks came during a discussion about Democratic Party strategy ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
Manchin’s remarks
During the interview, Manchin was asked directly whether he would ever support a socialist candidate. He responded, “No way. My God, no.” When pressed on whether he supported any of their ideas, he clarified that while he may agree with individual policies, he opposed the broader platform. “I support the good ideas,” he said. “But how could you support some of the crazy stuff they're for?”
Manchin cited specific concerns about socialist proposals, including calls to abolish police departments, dismantle Congress, and eliminate the Senate. He argued that such policies would undermine public safety, national defense, and energy production. “We want a crime-free area,” he stated. “We have to have police for that. Yeah. We want a strong defense, we want a strong border.”
Manchin also warned that if Democrats aligned with socialist demands, it could jeopardize the U.S. energy sector. “If Democrats can't say that, and they start lining up with the socialist demands... energy will be gone,” he said. “There'll be no energy, OK? We have right now a tremendous amount of energy we're producing, and the world depends more on us than ever before.”
Family perspective
Manchin’s daughter, Heather Manchin, who appeared on the program with him, expressed concern about the Democratic Party’s reluctance to distance itself from far-left candidates. “Control has now completely outweighed character,” she said. “If you're more interested in control, and that's all that matters, your vote count, versus the character of the person and the platform they're running on, I think we're living with the consequences of that.”
Democratic response
The remarks follow ongoing debates within the Democratic Party about the influence of progressive and socialist factions. While some Democrats have embraced policies associated with the left wing of the party, others have sought to distance themselves from more radical proposals. Manchin’s comments reflect a broader tension between centrist and progressive elements within the Democratic coalition.
No immediate response from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) was available at the time of reporting.