Manchin, who switched from the Democratic Party to become an Independent before retiring from the Senate last year, wrote that he considered Trump a fellow "outsider" when he arrived in Washington, D.C., for his first term and lauded him as the "most engaged president I ever worked with" since former President Bill Clinton. He noted, "If you want to have influence with Donald Trump, you have to be the last person he talks to about a topic," and said he would jokingly ask that the president ensure he was the last person he called. During the 2008 election cycle, he said he invited both then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Obama to come to West Virginia to campaign, but said Obama shook off the invitation and told him, "Let’s be honest with each other — my demographics don’t work well in your state."
Published at: 2025-09-17 21:20:38
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