(LibertyInsider.org) – President Joe Biden’s announcement on Sunday, July 21, that he was suspending his bid for reelection and his subsequent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the presumptive Democratic party nominee opened media speculation about who might challenge Harris at the Democratic National Committee convention in Chicago. Despite a statement from a former aide indicating the senator was considering a run for president, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), 76, shut down rumors he might face off against Harris.
Manchin took to the interview circuit on Monday, July 22, to discuss Biden’s decision and endorsement of Harris. While Biden can’t appoint a nominee, the senator observed how politically difficult it has become for anyone to compete with Harris after Biden “anointed” her with his endorsement.
"I am not going to be a candidate for president."
— Sen. Joe Manchin, after he reportedly briefly considered running for president, and after he called for Democrats to hold a "mini primary" pic.twitter.com/AYPPJI3tyV
— The Recount (@therecount) July 22, 2024
Manchin spoke with both CNN News and CBS Mornings on Monday following Biden’s announcement. He also addressed a statement to Bloomberg from a former aide, Jonathan Kott, saying the senator, 76, who has announced his retirement from the Senate effective at the end of his current term, was weighing a run for the Democratic nomination and that he advocated for an “open process” to select the new nominee.
However, when correspondents directly asked Manchin whether he would contest Harris for the nomination and run for president, he told CNN correspondent Kasie Hunt that while calls for him to consider a run have humbled him, he has said it’s time to “pass the torch to a new generation.” Similarly, he told CBS Morning correspondent Tony Dokoupil, “First of all, let me make it very clear, […] I am not going to be a candidate for president.”
When asked if he would consider a place on the ticket as Harris’s vice president, he answered Hunt, “No. […] It’s a new generation. You don’t want a 76-year-old vice president right now.”
Still, Manchin criticized how quick the Democratic party has been to push Harris, arguing the party has several qualified young leaders who might appeal more to Independents and centrists. He opined the party still had time for a three-week mini-primary among multiple candidates to determine who might best lead the party against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
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