Joe Manchin Opposes Supporting Socialist Candidates
Former West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin expressed his opposition to backing self-described socialist candidates during the upcoming midterm elections. Speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” he firmly stated, “No way. My God, no,” in response to whether he would ever support a socialist candidate.
When host Margaret Brennan asked if he might support such candidates if they had some good ideas, Manchin clarified, “I support the good ideas. But how could you support some of the crazy stuff they’re for?”
Manchin expressed his stance against the extreme proposals he associates with socialist candidates.
Manchin criticized socialist platforms, suggesting they seek to dismantle current government structures, including Congress and the Senate. He emphasized the importance of maintaining law enforcement and defense, stating, “We want a crime-free area. We have to have police for that. Yeah. We want a strong defense, we want a strong border.”
He argued that aligning with socialist ideals might lead to an energy crisis, noting, “There’ll be no energy, OK? We have right now a tremendous amount of energy we’re producing, and the world depends more on us than ever before.”
Heather Manchin, his daughter, who joined him on the show, voiced concerns about the Democratic Party’s leadership. She criticized their reluctance to reject far-left candidates, saying, “Control has now completely outweighed character. If you’re more interested in control, and that’s all that matters, your vote count, versus the character of the person and the platform they’re running on, I think we’re living with the consequences of that.”
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), approached for comment, did not provide a response immediately.
A Fox News poll indicated that Democrats had a more favorable opinion of socialism (52%) compared to capitalism (41%). Among registered voters, favorable views toward socialism rose to 30%, up from 27% the previous year.
Some socialist candidates backed by the DSA, like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, have gained prominence within the Democratic Party.
Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.