Wednesday, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) joined the chorus of other Republican lawmakers hoping Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) left the Democratic Party for the GOP.
Manchin is reportedly weighing a move to registering as an independent after being accused of disloyalty for rejecting President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.
Gallagher acknowledged it was “unlikely” Manchin would join the GOP but suggested he could make the move if the far-left continued its “relentless demonization” of him.
“Well, I think it’s unlikely. It is Christmas, so anything is possible. But I suspect even Santa is not that generous to us,” Gallagher stated. “Maybe the only thing that could convince him to switch or register as an independent and caucus with the Republicans, which is far more likely, is if the left, the far-left, continues this relentless demonization of Joe Manchin.”
After pointing out how “authoritarian” the left has become, he added, “I think that relentless pressure turns off a lot of people who may not be card-carrying Republicans — are simply patriotic Americans that want to speak their mind and don’t feel like, you know, the science is settled on every single issue, and we have to genuflect to the patron saint Anthony Fauci every single day. So, maybe that convinces him. I think it’s unlikely. I suspect Mitch McConnell has offered him every single committee chairmanship that exists in the United States Senate.”
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