Joe Manchin targets "politically homeless" as third-party speculation mounts
Washington DC - Senator Joe Manchin has announced he will launch a two-month tour to test the nation's appetite for a possible third-party presidential run.
"I start in January. I'll be two months on the road. And all we're trying to do is just mobilize people like myself who feel like they're homeless, politically homeless," the West Virginia Democrat said Tuesday during The Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit.
"I have a lot of Republicans that don't recognize Republican Party, that have Rs by their name – so the Grand Old Party and I guess the Blue Dog Democrats, they're homeless, and I hear it every day," he continued.
Manchin announced in a video last month that he would not run for re-election to the Senate and instead would be "traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together."
He has declined to say whether he will launch a third-party presidential bid, but there has been speculation for some time that he is considering a run with No Labels.
The conservative senator has faced backlash from members of his own party for tanking efforts to pass signature voting rights and social spending legislation, as well as to increase taxes for the ultra-wealthy.
Manchin has also come under fire for his pro-fossil fuel stances, all while reaping millions of dollars from his family's coal company.
Cover photo: STEFANI REYNOLDS / AFP