Top Republicans Pressure Manchin to Switch Parties

by Andrew Trunsky

 

Republicans are upping their calls for West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin to switch parties after he said he would not vote for President Joe Biden’s domestic spending bill.

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn told Nexstar that he texted Manchin to encourage him to switch after he came out as a “no,” telling him, “Joe, if [Democrats] don’t want you we do.”

While Cornyn said he did not get a response, he said that Manchin switching would be “the greatest Christmas present I can think of.”

“We’d love to have him,” he added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also told The New York Times that Republicans would “love” to have Manchin in their caucus after he severely, if not mortally, wounded the $1.7 trillion bill’s chances of becoming law.

“Obviously we would love to have him on our team,” McConnell said. “I think he’d be more comfortable.”

McConnell also brought up Democrats’ criticism of Manchin after he announced his position, asking why his own party would accuse him of being a “liar and try to hotbox him and embarrass him.”

“I think the message is, ‘We don’t want you around,’” McConnell said. “Obviously that is up to Joe Manchin, but he is clearly not welcome on that side of the aisle.”

In addition to Democrats who had counted on Manchin’s vote to pass the bill, known as the Build Back Better Act, the White House also criticized Manchin for his opposition, calling it “at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances.”

Manchin, however, fired back Monday.

“They figured surely to God we can move one person,” Manchin said. “We surely can badger and beat one person up. Surely we can get enough protesters to make that person uncomfortable enough that they’ll just say, ‘OK I’ll vote for anything.’”

“Well, guess what? I’m from West Virginia,” Manchin added. “I’m not from where they’re from and they can just beat the living crap out of people and think they’ll be submissive, period.”

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Andrew Trunsky is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Joe Manchin” by Senator Joe Manchin III. Photo “John Cornyn” by United States Senate. Photo “Mitch McConnell” by Senator Mitch McConnell. Background Photo “United States Capitol” by David Maiolo. CC BY-SA 3.0.

 

 

 


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3 Thoughts to “Top Republicans Pressure Manchin to Switch Parties”

  1. william delzell

    Throw him out of the Democrat Party! The Democrats were fools to tolerate him and Kirsten Sinema. So, the Democrats would have only 48 members; but at least they would be LOYAL members. That is how to run a party!

  2. McConnell and Cornyn are two of the biggest cancers in Republican leadership. Add in Thune and a few others, and you could start a new softball team called, The Traitors. They could care less what the base wantsa. They are D.C. swamp creatures, whose only goal is to stay in Washington and better themselves and their friends, like so many others. McConnell could care less that he is the minority leader. As the minority leader, there is no pressure to get anything done. His only job is to sit back, complain about Schumer and collect a paycheck from the taxpayers, and benefit from his China ties.

    The only good thing he has ever done is block Garland from SCOTUS and push Trump’s three nominees through. Now, while these things we great, he has done absolutely nothing else during his centuries in public office. All he knows how to do is stand in front of a podium, with his fellow vultures, and complain. We’ve had enough of that. Should repubs take back the Senate in 2022, he needs to go.

    NOW – with the Manchin scenario, we do not need him switching parties. It’s great he has stopped some of the craziness. If he were a republican now, everything would have already passed. Remaining in the dem party is the only way to stop Schumer & Co. And Manchin would only be as dependable as Romney, Collins,and Murkowsi – which means not at all. We have enough of them. Manchin needs to stay with the dems to help stop the stupidity.

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