Manchin blames Democratic divisions on ‘void of leadership’

Campaign Manchin blames Democratic divisions on ‘void of leadership’ Comments: by Sarah Davis - 07/05/26 7:00 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 07/05/26 7:00 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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Former independent Sen. Joe Manchin (W.V.) blamed the Democratic Party’s “void in leadership” on internal splits over the rise of democratic socialist candidates in a new radio interview on Sunday morning.

In a conversation with radio host John Catsimatidis on his show “Cats Roundtable,” Manchin cited democratic socialist candidates’ recent wins in states like New York and Colorado, which have unseated incumbent Democrats.

“When there’s a void of leadership, you see what happens,” Manchin said. “They don’t know who the leader is, and you’ve got all of these young, aggressive people who are excited. They’re involved. They associate themselves with the socialist party.”

Manchin suggested that these candidates form a separate political party associated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

“The two main parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, are now reaping what they sowed, which is total control basically by aggressive zealots on the extremes,” Manchin said.

The politician, who left the Democratic Party in 2024 to register as an independent, criticized the party’s leadership.

“The Democrat Party of Washington DC, spends more time and effort and resources on able-bodied, capable people that don’t work and won’t work then those of us who do,” Manchin said. “As far as we’re concerned, we’re done.”

Manchin’s comments follow a warning from GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert (Colo.) that Democrats are “taking out their own” after DSA member Milat Kiros ousted long-serving Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette (D) in the state’s Democratic primary election this week.

“Milat is not lying. She wants socialism. She wants more of it, a lot of it, and she’s very proud to say it,” Boebert told NewsNation on Wednesday. “And so now the pretend-to-be-normal Democrats that people like myself and Gabe Evans in Colorado are running against, well, this is their party, and this is what we are running against as well.”

Independent commentator and sports broadcaster Stephen A. Smith raised concerns this week that democratic socialist candidates will not be able to score wins for the Democratic Party in the November general election.

“You can beat Trump. You can beat any of his successors. But in order to do so, you‘re going to have to come together as a party under one umbrella,” Smith said, adding that Democrats “can’t be at the mercy of those on the extreme left.”

“You’re going to have to be somewhat closer to the center, because socialism, I don‘t believe, will work in a general election,” he continued.