Joe Manchin: ‘Insane’ that most Democrats prefer socialism

Former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has delivered a scathing rebuke of the Democratic Party’s embrace of socialist principles, warning that the party has abandoned its traditional roots as progressive candidates continue to sweep primary elections across major American cities.

According to Washington Examiner, Manchin responded forcefully when confronted with recent Gallup polling data indicating that 66 percent of Democrats now view socialism more favorably than capitalism.

The former senator, who abandoned the Democratic Party to become an Independent in 2024, described the polling numbers as absolutely insane during his appearance on Fox News’s One Nation Sunday.

Manchin warned that if Democrats truly embrace socialism over free-market capitalism, there would be no recognizable Democratic Party remaining. He cited this leftward lurch as a primary reason for his decision to leave the party, stating he cannot tolerate such radical positions.

The comments come as socialist-aligned candidates have achieved a string of electoral victories following Zohran Mamdani’s successful New York City mayoral campaign in September 2025. Mamdani, who now leads America’s largest city, has emerged as a kingmaker figure within progressive Democratic circles.

Three candidates endorsed by both Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America subsequently won their primary contests. Nithya Raman secured one of two positions advancing to the Los Angeles mayoral general election, while Janeese Lewis George became the presumptive mayor of Washington, D.C., after winning the Democratic primary in the nation’s capital.

Manchin severed his Democratic Party ties in May 2024, accusing both major parties of partisan extremism. At the time, he declared that America’s national political system had broken down, with neither Republicans nor Democrats willing to seek common ground through compromise.

While acknowledging that Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, has consistently maintained his socialist principles throughout his political career, Manchin emphasized their fundamental disagreement on the role of government. Sanders endorsed the same far-left candidates that Mamdani supported during New York City’s primary season.

Manchin recounted a conversation with Sanders about education policy, where the Vermont senator advocated for free tuition. Manchin said he rejected this approach, arguing that Americans should earn their opportunities rather than depend on government to provide everything.

The West Virginia political veteran also recalled a revealing exchange with Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, another prominent progressive voice, who questioned why the Democratic Party had lost working-class and union support.

Manchin said he told Warren directly that working Americans believe the Washington Democratic establishment prioritizes able-bodied individuals who choose not to work over those actively earning a living. This fundamental disconnect, he argued, explains the party’s erosion of support among traditional union households and blue-collar workers.

The exodus of working-class voters from the Democratic coalition represents one of the most significant political realignments in recent American history, with consequences still unfolding across the electoral map.

With information from Washington Examiner