United States Sen. Joe Manchin announced on Friday he would not run for president.
“I will not be seeking a third-party run,” The New York Times reported that Manchin said Friday during a speech in Morgantown, West Virginia. “I will not be involved in a presidential run.”
Democrats had feared Manchin would ditch his party affiliation and run for president as an independent, pitting him directly against President Joe Biden and possibly Donald Trump, who is the favorite to win the Republican nomination.
Manchin stopped short of endorsing a candidate on Friday. However, he said he would be involved in securing a "president that has the knowledge and has the passion and has the ability to bring this country together."
Manchin, who is considered a centrist Democrat, has railed against the current political climate in Washington, saying it's caused "visceral hatred."
"Washington is divided and Washington wants you and I to be divided and the rest of America to be divided because it's a better business model for them," Manchin said earlier this year.
The West Virginia senator has been critical of both Biden and Trump, claiming both of them are being influenced by the extremes of their parties.
Manchin has previously expressed support for the No Labels movement. The group has said it would consider running a presidential candidate of its own if President Biden and former President Donald Trump become the 2024 nominees.
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