“Biden’s Handlers Will Never Allow It”: Joe Manchin Backed by Schwarzenegger as a “Great Force” and Candidate for Presidency

Jo ShawNov 1, 2023

Minute Read

In a “Meet the Press” interview with Kristen Welker, Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Governor of California, said Joe Manchin was a “great force” and his choice for the 2024 presidency. Manchin, the grandson of an Italian migrant serving as West Virginia’s Senator, teased a possible run for the White House in previous interviews.

Democracy Is Very Vulnerable

In the interview, Kristen Welker asked the former governor what he thought of the state of democracy. Schwarzenegger answered, “I have always felt… democracies are very vulnerable. It’s not a bystander sport. You gotta participate, you got to vote.”

Equal Right to Vote

Schwarzenegger also highlighted in the interview the problems with the previous 2020 election and people’s right to vote: “There should be an equal right to vote because I think we have a problem, as we have seen in the last election, you know, that so many people not able to vote.”

“This Is the Wrong Way to Go”

He continued, “They made it impossible for some people to vote in order to change the election outcome and stuff like that. This is the wrong way to go.”

Ronald Reagan Was “Sane” and a Great Leader

Editorial credit: mark reinstein / Shutterstock.

Schwarzenegger continued his interview by sharing his admiration for former President Ronald Reagan, saying he was “a leader that was sane” and that showed “great leadership.” He added that his views were not because Reagan was Republican but “because he was the right man to bring people together.” He further stated, “I think this is what we need.”

Let’s Find Out Once and for All

In response to Welker’s questions asking who the right person was to unite the country, Schwarzenegger responded, “The Democrats are screaming that it has to be Biden and the Republicans are screaming that it has to be Trump. OK… let that play out again so we know once and for all who the people will really choose.”

New Generation of Leaders Needed

“But we got to think beyond that because we need a new generation of leaders that are willing to spend as much energy as possible, or as much energy as it takes, to bring both of the parties together,” he explained. “That’s where our ultimate strength comes from.”

There Is No One That Can Lead

Editorial credit: Frederic Legrand – COMEO / Shutterstock.

Schwarzenegger further went on to explain that he did not believe there was a candidate currently leading that could bring people together. “I think there is no one there that can lead. And make people understand that.”

No One Gets a Chance

Welker pointed out that the former governor had been previously very critical of Trump. “Is there any candidate that you feel could bring that type of leadership that’s needed right now?” she asked. “It’s all Trump Trump Trump, Biden Biden Biden. No one else gets a chance,” said Schwarzenegger.

Joe Manchin, a “Great Force”

Editorial credit: Andrew Cline / Shutterstock.

“Who do you think stands out?” Welker pushed Schwarzenegger for an answer. “I think that Joe Manchin is one of them,” he said, adding that Manchin was one of the guys he thought was “a great force.”

Trump and Biden “Taking the Air Out of Everything”

“The political system is set up in such a way right now that Trump is kind of taking the air out of everything, and Biden is doing the same on the other side,” he went on to illustrate. “It comes down to both of them, really, running for president.”

Don’t Villainize Extreme Republicans

“There’s some people that are extreme but there is no reason to villainize anybody,” said Arnold in response to meeting Republicans at the Capitol.

We Are Losing Our Edge

The famous bodybuilder and actor then said his biggest concern right now was “that we are losing our edge because we don’t work together. We have to stay strong. We have to stay number one in the world.”

Manchin May Run as an Independent

In a one-on-one interview with Evan Smith from The Texas Tribune, Manchin had previously suggested that he may run as a candidate in the 2024 election. “My filing date isn’t until January in West Virginia,” Manchin said. “I’ll make a decision by the end of the year.”

“We’re Not Smart Enough”

Manchin has openly expressed his disappointment with the Democratic Party, saying, “We’re not good enough, clean enough, smart enough for Democrats in Washington.”

Addressing the Divide

Manchin has also suggested in the interview that running as an independent could be a viable way to address the challenges and divides currently present in politics.

Sit Back and Do Nothing?

“I’m not going to take any risk to jeopardize my country and the democracy that we have,” Manchin said. “But to sit back and do nothing and allow the country to keep going this way?”

“That’s the Rich Talking”

The reaction online to Schwarzenegger’s backing of Manchin’s possible run was also divided. One user posted, “That’s the rich talking…. Manchin caters to them.” “Schwarzenegger is misinformed. Literally no one likes Manchin,” another user wrote.

Biden’s Handlers Will Never Allow It

Another user posted, “Arnold isn’t wrong on this! Manchin is about as close to the middle as a politician can be. Unfortunately Biden’s handlers will never allow it, nor will Trump’s ego.”