Thank you very much. Right after senate Republicans locked that package -- blcoked that package, I spoke with senator Joe Manchin. Welcome. >> Good to be with you. Thank you for having me. >> I want to start with your assessment of what happened in the senate today. The GOP initially said it wanted this deal. What do you see as the impact and the implications and the unraveling of what would've been the most significant immigration law in decades? >> I cannot even describe. I have no description of what I witnessed today on the floor of the senate. The only thing I can tell you is it reaffirms my decision to not run again because I have come to the conclusion you are not going to fix Washington with the political discourse and division that we have here. I will do everything I can going around the country trying to get people to understand that the pressure has to be put on. It is about our country, not you or the party. The people who are worried about themselves and the party they represent, that should be immaterial concerning the job you have to do. Protecting and defending the constitution and healing our country. 18,000 border patrol agents have supported this piece of legislation. Not for political reasons. These are people who are totally opposed to Joe Biden's handling of the borders since day one. They have now said this is the most transformative piece of legislation they have seen that would secure our border. And then all of a sudden because of politics, it fell apart. >> At the moment it appears emergency aid for Ukraine, Israel, and the indo pacific region is in limbo as well. Absent action from congress, is there any other way that weapons and emergency aid can be delivered to Ukraine? >> We are trying everything humanly possible. I would like to think that people can come to their senses. Ukraine desperately needs our support. We need Ukraine to win this fight. Stop Russia. They have been unbelievable what they have been able to do and the damage they have been able to show the vulnerabilities of Russia, which I think has been helpful when you see those bad actors we have around the world that would like to have another movement. We have countries that we have foreign concerns, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran. To give them any more validity had to show Ukraine can do what they can by themselves, and we are not going to be there for them, shame on anybody who would not be able to continue to support Ukraine to have a victorious outcome. Unbelievable. >> I want to return to what he said about how this chaos on the hill reaffirms your decision to not seek reelection. In December you said you were launching a tour to see if there is a national movement toward a third-party ticket. It has been a couple of months. What have you decided? >> I have said this, super Tuesday in March will tell you what we have. Will we have what we have now? Have they changed their positions at all? Can the grand old party become grand again? Can a democratic party become a sensible party? Or will they stay in their respective corners, extreme left and extreme right we basically have radical positions that they are trying to mainstream. They are weaponizing the political process in America. They are making people pick a side. Whatever side you pick, the other side is supposed to be your enemy. I can assure you, the other side is not my enemy. That is my colleague. We might have differences, we might be opponents on different types of subject matters, but we should always be working to strengthen and make our country better. I can show you where the enemy is. Around the country or around the world. It is not fellow Americans. We are allowing that to be weaponized. We have to stop that. It will not be done here so I will be talking. There are other good people. Hopefully get more people involved and see what happens. >> The dynamics of the race will not likely change between now and super Tuesday. Donald Trump will likely emerge as the Republican nominee. What more are you waiting for? >> That is exactly what we will end up with. I will see if there is any kind of opening. A third-party that can truly be competitive and not be a spoiler. That is another scenario. No one knows about that and who those people would be. I believe the country is ready for a person who has been identified as a Democrat or a Republican at one time in their life. Different party affiliations at one time that are not going to subscribe to the extremes of both parties and can come together as a team to run our country and put it back together so we can continue to be the great United States of America and not let ourselves be the divided states of America. We will be looking for that. >> With that candidate to be you? >> They could be me or any other people. There are a lot of good people that have left this body because of what they saw happen today, they could not take it anymore. I cannot either. >> No labels own polling from last year shows that Donald Trump against when a moderate independent candidate is included in the race. He gets a four point gain. Is there a way to be a third-party candidate without being a spoiler? History suggests that there is not. >> I have never been a spoiler in my life and I will not start now. I will not handicap any set of the other. We have to see clear evidence of similar opportunity. That we can help solidify and unite our country. >> CNN reported that a Joe Biden health care or a Donald Trump conviction could give you an opening to run as an independent. Is that the case? >> There are a lot of things like to give myself or other people. I do not have a burning desire. I am not out campaigning. I will sacrifice anything I possibly can to save and protect my country and bring it together. I believe we are dangerously, after today's vote, on the most dangerous crisis we have facing us which is the unsecured border. We have people opposed to a fix. The Republicans who have identified the problem and have worked together and we got a compromise. The border security bill that we had in front of us today. They walked away from it because of the politics. That is what is wrong. That is what we should be concerned about. >> There certainly Democrats who will hear you say that and say that is why you are needed in the senate. You are only -- the only Democrat who can win statewide election in West Virginia. The Democrats need you there. >> I have been here 14 years. I have been in public service for 42 years. I have given everything I have to represent the great state of West Virginia and defend the constitution. I will continue. It cannot be fixed here. The business of politics and the democratic party and Republican party, the amount of money that comes in by fighting for your own identity and party, is not but we need for our country. The business model is so profitable. Unless the people demand changes, it will not happen. >> That was Joe Manchin. Thank you for your time. ♪♪
