Mitch McConnell: I’ve Spoken to Joe Manchin About Joining GOP
MAKING A MOVE
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) seems hellbent on getting Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to jump ship to the Republican Party—and he’s let him know about it. “I’ve had this conversation with him off and on for a couple of years,” McConnell told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt Wednesday morning. “He feels like a man alone. If he were to join us, he’d be joining a lot of folks who have similar views on a whole range of issues.” He took it a step further, saying he has spoken to Manchin about keeping his chairmanship on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “He, I’m sure, enjoys being chair of the committee. It’s important to West Virginia,” he said. “And all of those things are things we’ve discussed.” While Manchin has said he has no intention of switching parties, if he were to flip, McConnell would regain the Senate and become the majority leader.