Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) weighed in on Thursday on the historic ouster of now ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), saying that the move had appeared to be primarily “personal” rather than political.
Manchin made an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where he said he felt like it was “a shame” that things had played out the way they had — and that if he had been in the House rather than the Senate, he would have voted with McCarthy regardless of any personal differences between them.
“This one seemed to be personal, like, that’s all I’m gonna say,” Manchin said, adding that there were some Democrats he would have thought might step in to aid McCarthy. “For some reason, it was personal. And I don’t know all the ins and outs, but people that I know are very rational, very reasonable centrist, moderates, Democrats who would have naturally reached over and helped Kevin [McCarthy]. There was a purpose and the reason they didn’t do it.”
The West Virginia Democrat went on to say that he would have stood with McCarthy if he had been in the House, adding, “I can only speak for myself; if I had been a House member, I’d have been voting for Kevin McCarthy. Whether I was upset with him about anything personal, I would not let that interfere. There’s more to it than I know, so you’d have to ask them — but for the sake of our country, we should have overlooked that.”
None of the House Democrats voted in McCarthy’s favor — although McCarthy claimed that his predecessor, Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), had promised to stand with him in the event that someone filed a motion to vacate.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) led the Republicans who voted with Democrats to oust McCarthy: Andy Biggs (AZ); Ken Buck (CO); Tim Burchett (TN); Eli Crane (AZ); Bob Good (VA); Nancy Mace (SC); and Matt Rosendale (MT).
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