Democrats increased their Senate majority to 51 seats in the November Midterm elections.
But Democrats are facing a bigger challenge in 2024.
And Chuck Schumer was not happy when Joe Manchin refused to answer this one simple question.
While most of the discussion about 2024 currently centers around the Presidential race, Chuck Schumer is focused solely on keeping his majority in the Upper Chamber.
Democrats outperformed the polls in the Midterm elections and picked up one seat in the Senate.
But the map is a lot tougher in 2024 for Democrats, as three vulnerable incumbents in states Trump won in 2020 are up for re-election.
One of those Senators is West Virginia’s Joe Manchin.
As the last Democrat to hold a statewide office in the increasingly red state of West Virginia – Trump won it by 38 points in 2020 – Manchin’s 2024 plans are important to Chuck Schumer’s majority.
On Sunday, Democrat West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin appeared for an interview on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures with anchor Maria Bartiromo.
Manchin told Bartiromo that his top concern is uniting Americans and bringing the country back together.
“How do we make it work?” Manchin asked. “How do we make Democrats and Republicans become Americans again and not just Party affiliates?”
Manchin added that unfortunately “this is what is happening right now” in America.
“We’re pushing people further apart, making people take a side and rewarding bad behavior,” he said.
Bartiromo brought up the main question on everyone’s mind about Joe Manchin’s plans for 2024 since he is up for re-election in the swing state of West Virginia.
“Real quick, I’ve got to ask you about your own public service,” she said. “You said in a radio interview this week that you will not be running for President,” she continued, before asking “what are your plans, will you run for re-election?”
Manchin refused to comment on his plans for 2024 and instead talked about bringing Americans back together.
But then Bartiromo asked him one serious question about his status as a Democrat.
“Do you still identify as a Democrat?” she asked.
“I identify as an American,” Manchin said. “I’m an American through and through.”
Of course, notably absent was Manchin’s willingness to call himself a member of the Democrat Party.
He completely dodged a simple yes-or-no question.
The interview ended with Manchin offering a hint that he will step down from the Senate and run for Governor of West Virginia.
“Will you run for Governor?” Bartiromo asked.
“I’m going to do whatever I can to help my country come together, and my state come together,” Manchin replied.
Manchin leaving the Senate would be bad news for Chuck Schumer in the pro-Trump state of West Virginia in 2024, as he is the only Democrat who could keep the seat for the Party.
