McConnell: If Manchin Becomes a Republican He Would ‘Be Joining a Lot of Folks’ With ‘Similar Views’

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is urging Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) to switch parties, claiming his views would align better with the Republican Party.

During an interview on conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt’s show on Wednesday, McConnell was asked, “Have you spoken with him or written to him about whether or not he might want to cross the aisle like Winston Churchill and Jim Jeffords did?”

“Well, you know, as I’ve said the last couple of days, I’ve had this conversation with him off and on for a couple of years,” McConnell responded. “We come from states that have a lot in common, that have become increasingly red over the last decade or so. And I think what Manchin is discovering is that there just aren’t any Democrats left in the Senate that are pro-life and terribly concerned about debt and deficit and inflation.”

He added, “So he feels like a man alone. If he were to join us, he’d be joining a lot of folks who have similar views on a whole range of issues.”

Hewitt asked the Kentucky Republican if Manchin would be able to keep his chairmanship of the Senate Energy Committee.

“That’s something we’d talk to him about. Obviously, he, I’m sure, enjoys being chair of the committee. It’s important to West Virginia. And all of those things are things we’ve discussed,” McConnell responded.

On Sunday, Manchin revealed that he would not support the spending package, which prompted a harsh statement from the White House and frustration among his fellow Democrats.

During an interview with a local radio station, Manchin addressed the pressure he received to vote for the bill. He said, “They figured surely to God we can move one person. We surely can badger and beat one person up. Surely we can get enough protesters to make that person uncomfortable enough that they’ll just say, ‘OK I’ll vote for anything.’”

“Well, guess what? I’m from West Virginia. I’m not from where they’re from and they can just beat the living crap out of people and think they’ll be submissive, period,” he added.

According to Axios, there is a concern in the Democratic Party that Manchin might leave the party. However, people close to him told the outlet he would likely become an independent and caucus with the Democrats, not a Republican, if he did switch his party identification.

The Senate is currently divided 50-50.

If Manchin became a Republican, it would give the party control of the chamber.