When Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was pressed directly on whether he would consider joining the 2024 presidential race during an interview, he said he would "absolutely" consider running.
"I will do anything I can to help my country. And you're saying, ‘Does that mean you would consider it?’ Absolutely. Every American should consider it," Manchin said on MSNBC Reports, Wednesday. "If they're in a position to help save the country — I think we're on the wrong course. So I will do everything possible."
"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure and mobilize the moderate, sensible, commonsense middle, that could be center left, center right," Manchin said.
SEN. JOE MANCHIN ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK SENATE RE-ELECTION
Manchin has long fueled speculation of a 2024 presidential run by aligning himself with the third-party "No Labels" organization. During his interview on MSNBC, Manchin again warned against the possibility that former President Donald Trump will win in 2024.
"I'm totally, absolutely scared to death that Donald Trump will become president again. I think we will lose democracy," he said. "And the reason I say that is that you can't normalize this visceral hatred."
He also warned against President Joe Biden's political shift to the "left."
"I'm afraid that Joe Biden's been pushed too far to the left," Manchin said. "Can he come back? We'll see."
The West Virginia senator's most recent statements this week are the latest in a series of interviews that some interpret as preparation for a 2024 third-party run.
"It's not about me. It’s not about the next election. I keep telling people, this is a movement," Manchin told CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell when asked directly about his presidential ambitions in a Tuesday interview.
The West Virginia Democrat said he had "plenty of time" to make the decision.
"Only in America does the next election start the day after the last election. Most countries don't have election a year ahead of time," Manchin said. "I think there's plenty of time, plenty of time. And especially if there's a movement in the middle, there's not a primary. It'll be basically in the general election process."
Before that, in a video posted to X last week, the Democrat said he was retiring from the Senate at the end of his term and plans to travel around the country to gauge "interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together." His surprising announcement left many wondering if the moderate Democrat was considering launching a third-party presidential bid.
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Fox News' Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
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