Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is seen during a vote in the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 7, 2023. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said he would "absolutely" consider running for president in 2024 in an NBC interview on Wednesday, less than a week after he announced that he won't seek re-election to the Senate.
Why it matters: Manchin mounting a third-party bid for the White House could pose a threat to President Biden's reelection campaign in a close race with GOP primary frontrunner former President Trump.
What he's saying: "I will do anything I can to help my country, and you're saying, 'Does that mean you would consider it?' Absolutely," Manchin said, per NBC.
- Manchin said he represents centrist Democrats and Republicans and that he hopes to "reinvigorate" those voters.
- "I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure, to mobilize that moderate, sensible, commonsense middle," he said, per NBC.
- He added that he thinks Biden's policies have gone "too far left."
Manchin also said he's "scared to death" of a second Trump presidency.
- "I think we'll lose democracy as we know it," if Trump is elected again, he said.
The big picture: No Labels — a well-funded organization that's exploring a potential bipartisan presidential ticket — earlier this month called Manchin a "tireless voice for America's commonsense majority and a longtime ally of the No Labels movement."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with more comments from Manchin's interview.