Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) refused to go low on Wednesday evening when responding to controversial attacks made against him by Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), who suggested that Manchin was racist for opposing Democrats’ massive social spending bill.
“Joe Manchin does not get to dictate the future of our country,” Bush said in a statement earlier this week. “I do not trust his assessment of what our communities need the most.”
Bush said that “Manchin’s opposition to the Build Back Better Act is anti-Black, anti-child, anti-woman, and anti-immigrant.”
Manchin was asked about Bush’s remarks during a Fox News interview on Wednesday night with anchor Bret Baier.
“I would just say the congresswoman doesn’t know me. She doesn’t know me,” Manchin responded. “And I’m happy to talk to her. I think maybe she will have a different opinion. Go home to West Virginia and ask people, and I think you will get a different opinion.”
“And this is a shame when we start this war — war of words. I’m not going to speak ill about any of my congressional friends and colleagues on the House side or the Senate side,” Manchin added. “We can have a difference of opinion. The rhetoric around here has gotten so harsh and so toxic that you can’t agree to disagree anymore. You can’t sit down and say, OK, I disagree with you, Bret. You’re going to say, OK, Joe, do we agree on the same problem? I said, yes. Let’s start working. Tell me what you think you would fix it. That’s not happening.”
WATCH:
TRANSCRIPT:
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: One, you have — you have had people out your houseboat. You have had people following you around. You have had progressives protesting you.
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): Yes.
BAIER: Cori Bush says: “Joe Manchin’s opposition to Build Back Better Act is anti-Black, anti-child, anti-woman, anti-immigrant. When we talk about transformative change, we are talking about a bill that will benefit Black, brown and indigenous communities.”
Your response to Congresswoman Bush?
MANCHIN: I would just say the congresswoman doesn’t know me. She doesn’t know me.
And I’m happy to talk to her. I think maybe she will have a different opinion. Go home to West Virginia and ask people, and I think you will get a different opinion.
And this is a shame when we start this war — war of words. I’m not going to speak ill about any of my congressional friends and colleagues on the House side or the Senate side.
We can have a difference of opinion. The rhetoric around here has gotten so harsh and so toxic that you can’t agree to disagree anymore. You can’t sit down and say, OK, I disagree with you, Bret. You’re going to say, OK, Joe, do we agree on the same problem? I said, yes. Let’s start working. Tell me what you think you would fix it. That’s not happening.