Manchin: Dems Should Have Had ‘Enough Guts’ to Ignore Leadership on ‘Supporting’ Criminals During ‘Crime Wave’

On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Situation Room,” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) stated that Democrats should have had “enough guts” to ignore party leadership and vote their own consciences in their votes on D.C.’s crime bill that was “supporting” criminals during a time where “crime is running rampant all over the country.”

Manchin said, “I can explain not allowing people anywhere in this country to commit violent crimes and walk away with a reduced sentence or no sentence whatsoever. It just — basically, what it does, it just — you’re supporting people to continue [committing] these crimes of carjacking and armed robbery, felonies, it’s unbelievable. And crime is running rampant all over the country. So, I had no problem at all thinking about, is this the right thing? It was the right thing to say the city council did wrong. I’m glad to hear that they repealed that now, and hopefully, people will take crime more seriously and basically, what it’s doing to the public, wherever you may live, whether it’s in West Virginia or here in D.C., violent crime is a horrific thing to have to deal with and have people subjected to that. And you can’t have these people walking away with no punishment whatsoever.”

Host Wolf Blitzer then asked, “So what does this bill reveal to you, Sen., about the divisions in your own Democratic Party when it comes to fighting crime?”

Manchin responded, “Well, you know, I’ve always said, if they can go home and explain…they think their people support that or either they’re not talking to their people and representing them the way they need to be represented. Nobody wants to face this crime wave that’s going on across the country, Democrat or Republicans. And if they’re just listening to political pundits and whether it be on either party, being for and against something, then do your own thing. Don’t pay attention to the party, from the [leadership] of parties or anything else…the bottom line, this makes no sense. It makes no sense when a person carjacks or [commits an] armed robbery, that you’re going to reduce the minimum guidelines or basically just slap them on the wrist. You think that’s going to deter them? I don’t think so. So, people should have enough guts to vote their own vote.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett