Joe Manchin floated as a possible 2024 contender by Arnold Schwarzenegger: ‘A great force’

Former Republican California governor and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) Sunday as a presidential contender in 2024.

“He comes from an energy state, but he’s a Democrat. So he knows the challenges. … I think [he’s] really a great force,” he said on NBC’s Meet the Press.

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According to him, the centrist Democrat with a history of breaking with his party “stands out” when he thinks of possible candidates other than former President Donald Trump, whom Schwarzenegger has been a vocal critic of.

“But there’s many others we just have to give in general — without endorsing anybody — I think we have to give people a chance to emerge,” he added, explaining that candidates have been unable to breakthrough.

“The political system is set up in such a way right now that Trump is kind of like taking the air out of everything, you know, and Biden is doing it on the other side,” he said.

Manchin, whose Senate seat is up for reelection in 2024, has yet to announce whether he will seek another term. He has also publicly signaled his openness to potentially switching from a Democrat to an independent.

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He has also been speculated as a potential presidential candidate on the No Labels party ticket, which hasn’t said if it will definitely run a candidate in 2024 but has been slowly gaining ballot access in states across the country.

A recent report detailed private conversations between Manchin and his family and advisers about his future. There are allegedly three options he is considering, including running for reelection in West Virginia as an independent, running for president with No Labels, and retiring altogether.