Manchin urges Fetterman to leave Democrats and go independent
Former Senator Joe Manchin,now an independent from West Virginia,recommends that Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania follow his example and leave the Democratic Party,describing it as a freeing experience. Manchin believes Fetterman’s independence would enable him to act as a true broker, working effectively across party lines and making compromise possible. Fetterman, who initially identified as a progressive Democrat and campaigned on positions like abolishing the filibuster, has since renounced that stance, acknowledging he was wrong. He has also criticized his party for catering to fringe elements and has shown a willingness to break from party orthodoxy, leading to speculation about a potential party switch, which he has dismissed. Manchin praises Fetterman’s independent approach,emphasizing that it would give him greater flexibility in caucusing and representing his constituents.Fetterman’s future plans are unclear, but several Democrats are rumored to be considering challenging him in the 2028 election.
EXCLUSIVE — Former Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia, is recommending that Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) follow in his path and leave the Democratic Party.
“My observation, and recommendation from observation, would be, John, trust me, set yourself free and become an independent,” Manchin said in a Tuesday morning phone interview with the Washington Examiner. “It’s liberating.”
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Manchin, who left the Democratic Party in 2024 and opted not to seek a third term that same year, said if Fetterman wants to work with both sides of the aisle, becoming an independent would allow the Pennsylvania Democrat to “speak as a real, true, free, free broker.”
“John Fetterman is voting what he believes is right for his people and what he can explain, and I appreciate that and respect it,” Manchin said. “When you like both people and both sides, you can sit down with both sides, you can agree to disagree, you can try to find compromise and make things happen.”
Fetterman, who once described himself as a progressive Democrat, renounced the label in 2023, saying he “would just call myself a Democrat.”
The former progressive has broken from his party on several high-profile issues, including border security and his support for Israel and the war in Iran.
He has also criticized his fellow Democrats, accusing the party of “catering to the fringe and agitated parts of our base” in an op-ed published in the Washington Post.
The willingness to break from ideological orthodoxy has sparked speculation about that Fetterman could switch parties and become a Republican. Fetterman has batted down the idea, saying he would make a “terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.”
Manchin told the Washington Examiner that if Fetterman left the Democratic Party, it would give him the flexibility to decide how, where, and with whom he would caucus.
“So you’re not making a commitment that you owe your soul to the company store, or basically to the parties, whether it be a D or an R, they’re going to have to earn your support, but the people will be much better off, and they’ll appreciate, I think, John’s independent stance,” Manchin said.
Fetterman ran for Senate in 2022 on a progressive platform that included nuking the filibuster, a tool of the upper chamber that has been under increased strain to be abandoned during President Donald Trump’s second term. Fetterman has since renounced his support for abolition, telling the Katie Miller Podcast earlier this month that he was wrong about the filibuster.
“One thing I was absolutely wrong on, is that in my cycle in ‘22, we were running to eliminate the filibuster,” Fetterman said. “And we were so wrong, so wrong about that.”
Fetterman said during his appearance that he believed Manchin and former independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema are “vindicated” in their staunch support for the filibuster.
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Manchin said he appreciated Fetterman’s change in opinion, saying that after joining the Senate’s ranks, Fetterman saw “how divided the Senate has become” and “changed his position on that, and I appreciate that very much.”
Fetterman has not announced his plans for 2028; however, several possible challengers have already been floated to run against the first-term senator, including Reps. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) and Summer Lee (D-PA).
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