Former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) recently sat down for an interview with the Washington Examiner, where he encouraged current Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) to follow in his footsteps by leaving the Democratic Party and becoming an independent, saying, “My observation, and recommendation from observation, would be, John, trust me, set yourself free and become an independent. It’s liberating.”
Manchin, who kissed the Democratic Party goodbye in 2024 and decided not to seek a third term as senator the same year, said that if Fetterman truly wants to work with folks on both sides of the political spectrum, the best way to do that would be to become an independent, as it would allow him to “speak as a real, true, free, free broker.”
“John Fetterman is voting what he believes is right for his people and what he can explain, and I appreciate that and respect it,” Manchin explained to the Washington Examiner. “When you like both people and both sides, you can sit down with both sides, you can agree to disagree, you can try to find compromise and make things happen.”
The Pennsylvania Democrat, who at one time described himself as a progressive Democrat, renounced that label in 2023, explaining that he “would just call myself a Democrat.” In recent years, Fetterman has broken away from his party on several high-profile issues, including border security, his support for Israel, and the war effort in Iran, according to the Washington Examiner.
He also ripped his Democratic colleagues, accusing them of “catering to the fringe and agitated parts of our base” in an opinion piece he wrote for the Washington Post. Fetterman’s willingness to turn away from the ideological orthodoxy of his party has stirred up rumors that he could end up switching parties and joining Republicans. However, Fetterman has shot down that idea repeatedly, saying he would make a “terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.”
Manchin told the Washington Examiner that if Fetterman chose to leave the Democratic Party, it would provide him with the flexibility to decide how, where, and with whom he would caucus. “So you’re not making a commitment that you owe your soul to the company store, or basically to the parties, whether it be a D or an R, they’re going to have to earn your support, but the people will be much better off, and they’ll appreciate, I think, John’s independent stance,” Manchin stated.
This isn’t the first time Fetterman has been presented with the idea of becoming an independent. In a previous report from The American Tribune, a Republican brought up the topic earlier this year, and he received the suggestion and didn’t show any signs of accepting or rejecting it. He was previously asked if he would consider switching to the Republican Party, to which he replied, “I’m not changing. I’m a Democrat and I’m staying one.”
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“My voting record actually reflects that I am a Democrat. You know, what’s changed me with many of my other colleagues is that I don’t agree and I use like extreme rhetoric and say, but I support what I think most Americans should agree with these things,” the Pennsylvania Democrat went on to say. He also shared that while he disagrees with his party’s open border policies and sides mostly with Republicans on that issue, there are others that he squarely lands on the Democratic side, which is why he feels he cannot change affiliations.