Chris Wallace Tweaks Manchin: ‘Are You Enjoying' Your Power Just a 'Little Too Much’?
The West Virginia lawmaker insisted he did not truly enjoy being the key swing vote in Congress, saying: “Oh, my goodness. That would be horrible.”
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace pressed Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on his sudden emergence as the key pivotal figure in the Senate, wondering aloud on Sunday whether the conservative Democrat is “enjoying” his powerful position just a “little too much.”
“Do you like being the most powerful member of Congress, the swing vote in a 50/50 Senate?” Do you like that, sir?” Wallace noted during his Fox News Sunday interview with the West Virginia lawmaker.
“No, I do not and I did not lobby for this, I did not seek it out,” Manchin insisted.
Wallace then pointed out that Manchin—who recently forced modifications that watered down the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that the Senate passed on Saturday—has been a deterrent to Democrats getting major reforms passed, such as ending the Senate filibuster, raising the minimum wage, or expanding the Supreme Court.
The Fox News anchor went on to highlight the fact that Manchin has become extremely media-friendly in recent weeks—and was especially busy on Sunday.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“You are on four Sunday shows today, and the question I have is, are you enjoying your position of power maybe a little too much?” Wallace declared with a knowing grin.
“I sure hope not,” Manchin shot back. “Oh, my goodness. That would be horrible. That’s not—no. I want to make sure people understand. I am in that common-sense middle. That’s who I am!”
“Common-sense middle” clashes a bit with Manchin literally shooting a cap-and-trade bill with a gun in a notorious TV spot a decade ago. But after the Internet exploded over the way in which his centrist Arizona colleague Kyrsten Sinema voted against adding a $15 minimum wage to the relief package, Manchin had the Sunday shows to himself—whether he liked it or not.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.