West Virginia's Sen. Manchin: Trump will 'destroy democracy' if re-elected

“I think if Donald Trump is elected, he will destroy democracy in America,” the senator said.

Manchin, who recently announced he doesn’t plan to seek re-election to the Senate in 2024, went on to sharply criticize Trump.

“You can’t have this visceral hatred spewing out every time you give a speech, denigrating Americans,” Manchin said. “The only good American is the one that likes and supports you; the only fair election is the one you win; laws pertain to everybody but you; and Jan. 6 was a walk-in-the-park visit to their favorite place, the United States Capitol. This is crazy stuff.”

Democrats bear at least partial responsibility for Trump’s election in 2016, Manchin said.

“I’ve told Democrats. I’ve said, ‘Why are you upset with Donald Trump? You should be upset with yourself, to have the most flawed human being to be able to be accepted by how many millions of people to be president,’” Manchin said. “Something is wrong with you all — don’t blame him.”

Trump “shook up” the political establishment during his first term, Manchin said.

“He shook it up before,” the senator said. “I guarantee [if] he comes back, he’ll break it now. Because now he knows enough of what he needs to do to get everything he wants.”

The former president has already been discussing what he will do if re-elected, Manchin said.

“When he says, ‘I’m going to use that to go after my detractors, I’m going to go after my accusers,’” Manchin said. “You can’t say that you’re going to take the most powerful office in the world and use it for vengeful purposes.”

First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, Manchin served as governor from 2005 to 2010 and as West Virginia Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005.

Although Manchin has been linked to a potential third-party presidential run under the No Labels banner, he has yet to commit to specific plans for the next phase of his career.

For now, Manchin said he will “go around” gauging support from those who are in the “radical middle” of the political spectrum.

“It’s going to be everything from A to Z and all the soup nuts in between,” he said. “Anything and everything I can do to get audiences.”

In a video announcing his plan to not seek re-election posted to social media last week, Manchin said he plans to see if “there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.”

No Labels issued a statement shortly after Manchin’s announcement saying it is “gathering input” ahead of an announcement expected next year.

“As we have said from the beginning, we will make a decision by early 2024 about whether we will nominate a Unity presidential ticket and who will be on it,” the statement read.