West Virginia GOP Gov. Jim Justice told Newsmax on Wednesday that he believes state Sen. Joe Manchin considering a run for the U.S. presidency as a third-party candidate, under the “No Labels” banner, is “somewhat of a fantasy trip.”
Manchin, a registered Democrat, on Monday spoke at a No Labels event in Manchester, New Hampshire, and although he had not yet decided whether he would make a presidential bid, he said he believed a third-party candidate run in the 2024 election would "threaten" Democrats and Republicans into tacking toward more moderate positions as their only path to victory.
While appearing on “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Justice, who’s vying for Manchin’s Senate seat, said he had been predicting for a long time that the senator would run for president, and likely as a third-party candidate.
“I personally believe that it's somewhat of a fantasy trip,” Justice said about Manchin. “At the end of the day, it's a good way to conclude your resume. I think Joe will go on … whether it be become a CNN analyst or whatever it may be.”
Manchin has also not yet confirmed whether he will seek reelection as West Virginia senator, though he may find himself in a fiercely contested battle with Justice. Hypothetical polling among registered West Virginia voters shows Justice with a significant 22-point lead over Manchin, 54% to 32%.
“The people of West Virginia know that I love them, and I'm really proud of them in every way,” the governor said. “I think what's happened is, we've got right up to crunch time with Sen. Manchin a couple of different times, and then he's backed away and migrated right back to the Democratic Party.
“I think that people are disappointed … when Joe migrated away and left us kind of holding the bag.”
Justice was a Democrat when he was elected West Virginia’s governor in 2016. However, in August of the following year, he switched over to the Republican Party while appearing with former President Donald Trump at a rally in Huntington. He explained to host Rob Schmitt why he made the switch.
“My parents, my family, we've been rock-solid Republicans forevermore,” he said. “It took me about six months to realize … [I'd] had a major brain you-know-what, and [I] got back on the right side of the ship.
“It was a proud day for me to be able to be with President Trump and switch back, and since that time we've done very, very well in the state of West Virginia,” he added. “I’m [in the Senate] election as a Republican in a strong way, and things are good.”
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.