Manchin blasts WH staff for leaking 'absolutely inexcusable' things about him after rejecting BBB

Liberals slam Manchin for delivering blow to Biden spending bill

Chad Pergram reports from Capitol Hill on what’s next for Democrats’ agenda after Sen. Joe Manchin rejects the Build Back Better bill.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., blasted the White House “staff” for leaking “absolutely inexcusable” things about him after rejecting President Biden’s Build Back Better Act during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”

Manchin said during a Monday interview with MetroNews Talkline that the White House “retaliated” against him after he told “Fox News Sunday” that he could not support Biden’s signature COVID–19 relief legislation.

“Basically, they retaliated,” the West Virginia Democrat said. “I figured they would come back strong.”

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 19, 2018. (REUTERS/Yuri Gripas)

Manchin defended his decision to oppose the Build Back Better Act, elaborating that he has “gone and talked” to Biden, who “knew we couldn’t get there.”

The senator also blamed the White House “staff” for recent news reports about him, saying they were being “driven” by the president’s staffers and that he understands it is not Biden’s doing.

“This is staff. And they drove some things and they put some things out that were absolutely inexcusable,” Manchin said. “And they know what it is. And that’s it.”

President Biden delivers remarks about his Build Back Better agenda on Oct. 28, 2021. 
(REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)

Manchin did not specify what the White House staff released about him. The senator continued by saying that he would not be pressured into supporting the bill by his fellow Democrats.

“They figured, surely to God we can move one person. We can badger and beat up one person,” Manchin said. “Surely we get enough protesters to make that person uncomfortable enough.”

“Well, guess what? I’m from West Virginia,” he added. “I’m not from where they’re from. And they just beat the living crap out of people and think they’ll be submissive, period.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 23, 2019. 
(Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Manchin’s announcement Sunday did not go over well with liberals in the media and Democratic lawmakers, with several taking aim at Manchin over his decision to shut the door on Build Back Better.

In a Monday interview, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called Manchin’s move “an “egregious breach of the trust of the president” and said that Democrats have “every right to be furious with Joe Manchin.”

“This idea that we’re going to refit it to Joe Manchin’s liking, the bill has already been retrofitted to Joe Manchin’s liking,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Let’s make that extremely clear. The climate ambitions have been reduced because of Joe Manchin.”

Fox News’ Bill Melguin contributed reporting.

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