Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin criticized what he sees as his former party’s embrace of the progressive left, warning that Democratic socialists are gaining ground while longtime Democrats largely remain silent.
“That’s why I’m an independent,” Manchin said on the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast.
“[Members of the Democratic Party] went from liberal to progressives to DSA. It just keeps going on that trend,” he added.
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Manchin left the Democratic Party after frequently breaking with fellow Democrats while serving in Congress. The longtime moderate registered as an independent in May 2024.
In a statement announcing his departure, Manchin criticized extremism on both the left and right, saying he had “seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy.”
Manchin also argued that neither party was willing to “find common ground” or “put country before party.”
During his conversation with Hannity, Manchin expressed disbelief that many Democrats appear unwilling to challenge the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) growing influence within the party.
“That’s beyond me,” he said, suggesting that some longtime Democrats may be afraid to challenge the party’s more progressive wing.
“The bottom line is … let’s look at the elections coming up. If the House changes … if it flips over to Democrat control, a lot of the flipping is going to happen in kind of a purple area, not a hard blue area. [A] hard blue area is where they’re going to maybe flip to DSA.”
Manchin’s comments come as progressive and Democratic socialist candidates seek to gain seats in Congress.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is among the Democratic socialists who have won high-profile elections, underscoring the movement’s electoral gains.
Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.