Joe Manchin didn't switch to the GOP because he didn't want Mitch McConnell back in charge: book

Republican Senators last year courted Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to switch parties, as they believed his multiple disagreements with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party would make him feel more welcome in the GOP.

McClatchy, in previewing a new book written by New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns, reports that Sen. John Thune (R-SD) pitched Manchin on caucusing with the GOP last year, only to be rejected due to Manchin's seeming personal distaste of Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

“John, if you were the leader I would do it," Manchin reportedly told Thune.

The authors then note that Manchin's reasoning was that he "was not about to put Mitch McConnell back in charge of the Senate."

McClatchy also reports that Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) thinks that McConnell misjudged the needed response to the January 6th Capitol riots, as he hoped that simply ignoring former President Donald Trump would end his political ambitions.“

"McConnell is: Ignore and hope he goes away. And that just doesn’t work,” Cheney tells the authors. “McConnell is somebody who normally has really good political instincts. He’s one of the best, but I think he’s completely misjudged the danger of this moment. This is about the Constitution. There is clear right and wrong.”

In fact, McConnell himself is also quoted as saying that he's surprised that Trump is still a major force within the party, as he expected the twice-impeached former president to fade away after leaving office.

Read more at this link.

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