In an open gesture to embattled moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told Fox News on Wednesday \u2026<\/b>
\nIn an open gesture to embattled moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told Fox News on Wednesday that Manchin should join the GOP amid continuing attacks on the West Virginian from his own party. Manchin kicked off a panic among Democrats on Dec.19 when he announced in a Fox News Sunday interview that he would not be giving his crucial support to President Joe Biden\u2019s Build Back Better (BBB) agenda in the Senate, becoming the 51st senator to openly oppose the bill. \u201cThis is a mammoth piece of legislation and I had my reservations from the beginning,\u201d Manchin told host Brett Bauer. Despite working with President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) \u201cevery minute of every day\u201d to make the bill agreeable, Manchin said he simply could not give the almost $2 trillion bill his support. The announcement sent proponents of the bill into a fit, with several social progressives questioning Manchin\u2019s character and motives. The progressives suggested that Manchin, who has been in intense negotiations with Biden for months on end, opposed the bill not out of ideological conviction but because he was merely serving special interests and donors. Others questioned Manchin\u2019s character and sense of honor. \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate that it seems we can\u2019t trust Sen. Manchin\u2019s word,\u201d Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said in a statement indicative of the general mood among left-wing progressives. Even the White House suggested that Manchin was a liar, despite Manchin never having affirmatively committed to voting for the massive spending bill. Amid this vitriolic treatment, people are again wondering if Manchin may switch parties. And Republicans have already started making advances to see whether Manchin could be persuaded to switch. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) became one of the first to raise the olive branch to Manchin. Speaking to an Austin-based radio station Tuesday, Cornyn said that he had texted Manchin about joining the GOP. \u201cJoe, if they don\u2019t want you, we do,\u201d Cornyn quoted of his one-line text to Manchin. Cornyn admitted during the interview that he hadn\u2019t heard back from the moderate swing-voter. Now, Minority Leader McConnell, who would quickly become Majority Leader McConnell if Manchin did switch parties, is weighing in on the discussion. \u201cA good solution to [Manchin\u2019s] problem would be to come across the aisle and join us, where he\u2019d be treated with respect,\u201d McConnell told Fox News. McConnell noted that such a switch on Manchin\u2019s part would be beneficial for him politically. \u201cHe is in a very red state, a very Republican state,\u201d McConnell said. \u201cHe\u2019s trying to exist in today\u2019s Democratic Party, which is very hard. The Democratic Party today is the party of Bernie Sanders. They want to turn America into a socialist country.\u201d \u201cNo wonder Joe Manchin is uncomfortable on the Democratic side of the aisle,\u201d McConnell continued. \u201cI think he\u2019s, for example, the last pro-life Democrat in the Senate, the last one.\u201d \u201cHe\u2019d be a lot more comfortable on our side,\u201d McConnell ruled. Still, McConnell also admitted that he considers this outcome unlikely. \u201cHe\u2019s been a lifelong Democrat,\u201d McConnell noted. \u201cI don\u2019t expect this to happen.\u201d Efforts to bring the maverick West Virginian to the Republican side of the aisle are nothing new for Manchin or the GOP. The same rumor has already popped up several times during the 117th Congress alone. Speculation in June 2021 that Manchin may switch parties became so pronounced that it prompted a response from McConnell. In October, rumors and speculation about an imminent party switch from Manchin had grown, with reports at the time claiming that an anonymous insider had good information that Manchin was considering a party switch. Again, these rumors saw a GOP invitation to Manchin, this time from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). During a Fox News interview, Lee was asked whether Manchin should switch parties. \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d Lee quickly responded. \u201c[He] should leave the Democratic Party and I look forward to embracing him when he joins our caucus.\u201d But Manchin vehemently denied the rumors at the time, telling a reporter that they were false. Ultimately, a party-switch by Manchin would be a spectacle of huge proportions in Washington, as it would force Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to hand over the metaphorical gavel to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell nearly a year before the 2022 election takes place. But it would change the situation on the ground only nominally: Manchin has said time and time again that he isn\u2019t a party-line voter. Whether he has a \u201cD\u201d or an \u201cR\u201d beside his name, Manchin says his vote will be the same.<\/p>\n