Trump attacks Kamala Harris after Biden drops out of race

When asked by moderator Mika Brzezinski if he believed Harris had the skills and abilities to prosecute Trump, Manchin replied: “If it’s all about Donald Trump and demonizing him even more, and they don’t have anything else to go after… I don’t think that’s a successful solution.”

Manchin said Trump “fundamentally does not recognize the orderly transition of power after the election” and criticized the former president on key issues, such as his stance on the war in Ukraine.

When asked if he would support Harris as a presidential candidate, Manchin said he would “see what her platform and her positions are.”

“I’m curious to see where she ends up on this, and I think that’s reasonable,” he said, adding that he does not blame governors like Andy Beshear of Kentucky, who are considered possible vice presidential candidates, for supporting Harris because “they didn’t want to commit suicide by dropping out when everyone else was moving in that direction.”

“But I think when you talk about Nancy Pelosi and you think about Barack Obama, who believes that a process, an open process – we have a primary – would strengthen the situation, and then controlling the strongest person would have been a way to help Kamala,” he added.