Sen. Joe Manchin in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC., this week. Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo-Pool/Getty Images
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is appearing in a campaign ad for Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) as the congressman seeks to stave off a Republican primary challenge from the Trump-endorsed Rep. Alex Mooney (W.Va.).
What he's saying: "David McKinley has always opposed reckless spending because it doesn't make sense for West Virginia," Manchin says in the 30-second video ad, released on Friday.
- "Alex Mooney has proven he's all about Alex Mooney. But West Virginians know David McKinley is all about us," he adds.
The other side: Mooney said in a Twitter post Saturday that Manchin appearing in McKinley's video ad was "further proof David McKinley is a complete and total RINO" — referring to the "Republican in Name Only" acronym former President Trump has often used to describe his critics in the Republican Party.
- It's "not surprising" that the senator and his party "want to defeat a principled conservative" like him, Mooney added, noting that Manchin and McKinley both supported President Biden's "$1.2 trillion non-infrastructure bill."
The big picture: West Virginia has lost a U.S. House seat due to a declining population, forcing the Republican incumbents to face off against each other.