Joe Manchin
Businessman and former United States Senator
47
APPEARANCES
25
PODCASTS
Sep 14, 2026
Joe ManchinGUEST
And what the guys are telling you, what the Sam Altmans of the world and Elon and Dario and they're all telling you is once it goes IPO, then we become a slave to our shareholders.
Joe ManchinGUEST
And once we become a slave to the shareholders, forget about us playing nice and protecting the public.
Joe ManchinGUEST
If they're just going for self-satisfaction, immediate self-satisfaction, then they don't care about the future.
Joe ManchinGUEST
They don't care about this country as we have known it and would like to have our children enjoy what we enjoyed in the past years.
Joe ManchinGUEST
For that to be said, "Well, we're gonna pack the court," well, guess what? You didn't pack it enough.
Brian KilmeadeHOST
Are these some of the people you're talking about that would run as independents and not caucus with anyone, and then would have leverage in a very tight House and Senate?
Stephen A. SmithHOST
How will the Independent Leadership Council address those voters? We'll start with you, Senator.
Joe ManchinGUEST
They make it so difficult to get anybody that's like-minded that they are to get elected, even get on the ballot to run.
Joe ManchinGUEST
We're trying to break this down, Stephen, to where basically you can find someone that will run independently, become an independent, get elected independent, and go to Washington and stay an independent.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Do not caucus with either party because with the numbers being so tight, And the difference is going to be maybe one or two votes.
Joe ManchinGUEST
I can assure you one person can make a difference and you can bring people together.
8 MINS LATER
14:42
He says that some Republicans have lost their way and a little bit off, but the Democrats have completely lost their minds.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Both parties have been so successful at being so strong in capturing the process of how we elect people in America.
Joe ManchinGUEST
They don't want people to vote in their primaries unless you're a Republican or a Democrat.
Joe ManchinGUEST
And the zealots, the advocates, the people with the enthusiasm, which we call them the DSA now, the Democrat Socialists of America, they were able to say, fine, we'll play out of your paybook.
16:05
And I've always said extremism in any direction in our country is not good for the country.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Both parties have been so successful at being so strong in capturing the process of how we elect people in America.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Both parties have been so successful at being so strong in capturing the process of how we elect people in America.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Both parties have been so successful at being so strong in capturing the process of how we elect people in America.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Both parties have been so successful at being so strong in capturing the process of how we elect, uh, people in West- i- in, in America, there's no competition anymore because they want to close down.
Joe ManchinGUEST
They don't want people to vote in their primaries unless you're a Republican or a Democrat.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Well, guess what? They got what they wished for, and the zealots, the advocates, the, the people with the enthusiasm, which we call them the, the DSA now, the Democrat Socialists of America, they were able to say, "Fine, we'll play out of your playbook.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Both parties have been so successful at being so strong in capturing the process of how we elect people in America.
34:24
in the office last week and we talked and uh... you know what he said he says some republicans have lost their way and a little bit off but the democrats have completely lost their minds and so i
Joe ManchinGUEST
mean here's the problem that both yes that the both have had this john here's the problem Both parties have been so successful at being so strong in capturing the process of how we elect people in America.
Joe ManchinGUEST
They don't want people to vote in their primaries unless you're a Republican or a Democrat.
Joe ManchinGUEST
And the zealots, the advocates, the people with the enthusiasm, which we call them the DSA now, the Democrat Socialists of America, they were able to say, fine, we'll play out of your paybook.
Paul RieckhoffHOST
Can you react to the news out of there and what that landscape looks like now, sir?
9 MINS LATER
David YoungHOST
What were some of the, the major drivers that made you leave private life and go into the public sphere?
Joe ManchinGUEST
I can remember growing up, my Uncle Jimmy, A. James we call him, Uncle Jimmy, was very much involved.
Joe ManchinGUEST
He got really entangled and, and committed to the Kennedy campaign in 1960 in West Virginia.
Joe ManchinGUEST
John Kennedy, Jack Kennedy, had to win the primary to basically debunk the whole religion concerning about Catholics being elected in public offices, and that's where he made his stand.
9 MINS LATER
Joe ManchinGUEST
They make it so difficult to get anybody that's, that's, uh, like-minded that they are to get elected, even to get on the ballot to run.
Joe ManchinGUEST
We're trying to break this down, Stephen, to where basically you can find someone that'll run independently- Become an independent, get elected independent, and go to Washington and stay an independent.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Because with the numbers being so tight and, and the, the difference is gonna be f- maybe one or two votes, I can assure you one person can make a difference.
Joe ManchinGUEST
You can bring the commonality and common sense back, that I think a lot of them still have, but they've been forced to the extremes, extreme right and left.
8 MINS LATER
Joe ManchinGUEST
There's no competition whatsoever in the system because the b- party, the strength of the two-party system, the Democrat and Republican, prevents that from happening.
Joe ManchinGUEST
They have total control of how the, uh, primaries are put up, you know, put, put up.
Joe ManchinGUEST
And when I said this, if you look at the last election, of all the primaries across the country, only about 21% of the people showed up.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Hey, what's your story? Do you know it? Where your family came from and who they were? At Ancestry, we wanna help you find those answers scattered across census records, wedding announcements, newspapers, and more, because each answer is a part of your story.
Joe ManchinGUEST
We've gathered those records into one easy to search place, and we're here to help you put the pieces together and share your story with future generations.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Mike, Mike, the, the whole, the whole process of what we're trying to do, and I've been there long enough, and I know sometimes when you get caught in the middle, one vote can make a difference.
Joe ManchinGUEST
In the 117th Congress from January 21 until January 23, we got a lot accomplished, and we were 50/50.
Joe ManchinGUEST
They figured out I wasn't gonna go extreme to the left or extreme to the right, and I wanted to work with both sides.
Joe ManchinGUEST
They s- people even asked the question, "Why'd you become an independent?" I said, "I like both sides." There are good people with good ideas that are there for the right reason.
Joe ManchinGUEST
They've just basically been blanked out because the center-left and center-right, there's no room for them.
9 MINS LATER
Joe ScarboroughHOST
... extremists sit and listen to podcasts and, and watch media all day, and scroll on social media all day, but that's not where most Americans live, Joe, is it?
24:20
I think she just told me, "We want to try and elect a couple of Joe Manchins." Is that what you heard?
Joe ManchinGUEST
Well, let's just say that we might give her a little bit of a template to follow.
Joe ManchinGUEST
My, uh, oath to the, uh, to, uh- The Constitution, to protecting the fam, I take an oath of office, and also the people I work for.
13:48
I think she just told me, "We wanna try and elect a couple of Joe Manchin's." Is that what you heard?
Joe ManchinGUEST
Well, let's just say that we might have given her a little bit of a template to follow.
Joe ManchinGUEST
My, uh, oath to the, uh, to, uh, the Constitution, to protecting the fam, I take an oath of office, and also the people I work for.
Joe ManchinGUEST
I wa- because West Virginia, we were already a, we were an organized union state, okay? And unions all had PACs.
Joe ManchinGUEST
The businesses and the chambers of commerce thought they couldn't, they couldn't compete.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Somebody should've got both sides sitting down and saying, "Okay, I tell you what, guys.
Joe ManchinGUEST
I wa- 'cause West Virginia, we're a very, we're an organized union state, okay? And the unions all had PACs.
Joe ManchinGUEST
The businesses and the chambers of commerce thought they couldn't, they couldn't compete.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Somebody should've got both sides sitting down and saying, "Okay, I'll tell you what, guys.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Well, John, let me say, first of all, happy 4th to you and all your listeners, and God bless America, because I truly believe he did bless us with this wonderful country of ours.
Joe ManchinGUEST
We have come through so much challenges and turmoil and heartache and challenges, but we've come out with the freedom that we have, the liberty that we have.
Joe ManchinGUEST
For the people who say they hate America but they're still here, they ought to count their blessings that they're able to do that and the country allows them to do that.
Joe ManchinGUEST
If they could just think of how they're able to have the freedoms to say and do as they please, and other countries won't allow that.
51:23
But the Democratic Party, they've allowed the Socialist Party to take the leadership.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Well, John, let me say, first of all, happy Fourth to you and all your listeners, and God bless America, because I truly believe he did bless us with this wonderful country of ours, 250 years of growing pains, but basically it's still an experiment.
Joe ManchinGUEST
We have come through so much challenges and turmoil and heartache and challenges, but we've come out with a free, the freedom that we have, the liberty that we have.
Joe ManchinGUEST
For the people who say they hate America, but they're still here, They ought to count their blessings that they're able to do that in a country that allows them to do that.
Joe ManchinGUEST
If they could just think of how they're able to have the freedoms to say and do as they please, and other countries won't allow that.
Joe ManchinGUEST
This is a celebration of the freedoms and liberties we all have, whether you agree or disagree.
4:24
But the Democratic Party, they've allowed the Socialist Party to take the leadership.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Well, John, let me say, first of all, happy Fourth to you and all your listeners, and God bless America, because I truly believe he did bless us with this wonderful country of ours, 250 years of growing pains, but basically it's still an experiment.
Joe ManchinGUEST
We have come through so much challenges and turmoil and heartache and challenges, but we've come out with a free, the freedom that we have, the liberty that we have.
Joe ManchinGUEST
For the people who say they hate America, but they're still here, They ought to count their blessings that they're able to do that in a country that allows them to do that.
Joe ManchinGUEST
If they could just think of how they're able to have the freedoms to say and do as they please, and other countries won't allow that.
Joe ManchinGUEST
This is a celebration of the freedoms and liberties we all have, whether you agree or disagree.
4:13
But the Democratic Party, they've allowed the Socialist Party to take the leadership.
Joe ManchinGUEST
You see? And I told him one time, we were sitting there, and this had to be when I was governor in 2005 or 2006, and I said, I said, "Well..." He was explaining to me about the Senate, and he said, "Senate is the most deliberate body in the world, Joe." He says, "Everybody tries to break it.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Everybody who's in the majority wants total power to overrun the other side, and what goes around comes around.
Joe ManchinGUEST
And the other thing about the Senate, it's a deliberate body because it takes more than a, just a simple majority.
Joe ManchinGUEST
It takes a more super majority of 60 votes to even get on a piece of legislation.
35 MINS LATER
David NovakHOST
What's your take on what we're doing in Iran and, and how we're handling it from a leadership perspective?
speaker_1HOST
You know, to what extent do you feel like the conditions and the urgency for permanent reform today is similar to what it was, you know, a couple of years ago? Or, you know, to what extent has
Joe ManchinGUEST
it changed? We have so many challenges, but the bottom line is if you couldn't, I kept thinking if we had the restrictions that we have today and loopholes to jump through, And this was 1940, 1941, World War II pressing down on us.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Would we have been able to build the arsenal to defend the world, to beat fascism? Could we have done it? No, couldn't do it today because of the restrictions.
Joe ManchinGUEST
And the balance is this, it says, On permitting, I said, all the things we want to do, we can't do.
Joe ManchinGUEST
And what's the most impediment that we have? Only thing that I knew in my life was the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
Joe ManchinGUEST
Atlantic Coast Pipeline spent three, four, five billion dollars before they went defunct.
speaker_3HOST
So how are you thinking about this issue now? And what are some of the lessons you draw from your experience watching all those
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