On Sunday, August 2, 2026, former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin and his daughter Heather Manchin, CEO of Americans Together, appeared on CBS's "Face the Nation" with Margaret Brennan to discuss their initiative aimed at electing independent candidates to public office.

Heather Manchin leads the effort to break through the traditional two-party system, citing polling data from CNN that indicates a market for independent candidates. However, Brennan noted that past attempts to disrupt the two-party dominance have largely failed, with only about 21% voter turnout in recent primaries nationwide.

Joe Manchin highlighted the decline in Democratic Party registration and identification, stating, "the Democrat Party has lost more registration, more people identifying as Democrats than ever before."

When asked why he did not run for president in 2024, Manchin said he did not want to be a spoiler, adding, "But I have no chance of winning because I'm only on 16 ballots or 20 ballots statewide, nationwide."

Manchin also expressed frustration with the current political process, saying, "listen, this doesn't make any sense at all. It's not the oath I took to defend and protect the Constitution. Doesn't make sense for my country, and it's not a way to get things done for my state."

The interview touched on the difficulties independents face in gaining traction and the broader dissatisfaction with party politics in the United States.

Notable Quotes

  • "Boy, if you would just caucus with us today, we'd get this passed or that."
  • "Listen, this doesn't make any sense at all. It's not the oath I took to defend and protect the Constitution. Doesn't make sense for my country, and it's not a way to get things done for my state."
  • "Come on, Donald, you really believe that? Is that true?"

Sources