On Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation" and firmly stated he would never support any self-described socialist candidates ahead of the midterm elections. When asked if he would support a socialist, Manchin responded, "No way."

Host Margaret Brennan pressed, "Even if they have some good ideas?" to which Manchin replied, "But how could you support some of the crazy stuff they're for?"

Manchin criticized the demands of socialist candidates, describing them as wanting to dismantle established government structures, including Congress and the Senate. He highlighted their calls for eliminating police and other institutions, saying, "Are you crazy?"

He emphasized the importance of maintaining police, a strong defense, and secure borders. Manchin also warned against the potential loss of energy production, noting, "There'll be no energy, OK? We have right now a tremendous amount of energy we're producing, and the world depends more on us than ever before."

These comments came after several openly socialist candidates ran and won Democratic primary elections nationwide. A July Fox News poll found that 52% of Democrats had a favorable opinion of socialism compared to 41% for capitalism.

Sources

Joe Manchin on Face the Nation
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