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Manchin Visit With Iowans Adds to Rumors He May Challenge Biden

During a recent visit with officials from a crucial early state in Washington, D.C., Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) sparked suspicions about a potential 2024 presidential challenge.

According to a report from Axios, the senator held a meeting with influential Iowans on Wednesday in Washington. Manchin, who has frequently argued with both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and President Joe Biden, has refused to rule out running for president in 2024 or opting to seek reelection.

Although Iowa is no longer expected to be the Democratic Party’s leadoff state, it still has a significant impact on presidential politics.

Manchin allegedly bragged about his style of political centrism and emphasized the necessity to start addressing the nation’s numerous critical political challenges during his talk with business executives from the Greater Des Moines Partnership, themes he’s reiterated publicly.

In response to inquiries about potential presidential aspirations, Manchin evaded them while lamenting the hollowing out of the Democratic centre.

The Inflation Reduction Act, a law Manchin supported but has since vowed to support undoing, became the focal point of his ongoing dispute with the Biden administration on the same day.

Since Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) entered the contest to attempt to recover the seat for Republicans, speculation has grown that Manchin may turn his attention from the Senate to the White House.

Manchin is lagging the well-liked governor of the red state in some polls, and Justice is one of the toughest opponents he has had to deal with.

Manchin allegedly recently held a conversation with the third-party organization No Labels in which he criticized the “dysfunctional” politics in the United States in addition to publicly criticizing Biden.

In an effort to gain entry to the ballot for a third-party candidate in the next presidential elections in all 50 states, Manchin claims to have had a 12-year association with the centrist organization.

This has sparked speculation that he could be considering a solo campaign for the presidency in 2024.

[READ MORE: Kevin McCarthy to Reportedly not Back Rep. Santos for Re-Election After Arrest]

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