Says Biden should drop his re-election bid and focus on the rest of his term

Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat turned independent, on Sunday urged President Joe Biden to end his re-election campaign and focus on the remaining months of his presidency.

“It is with a heavy heart that I have decided it is time to pass the torch to a new generation,” the West Virginia lawmaker told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Nearly three dozen Democrats in Congress have said it’s time for Biden to leave the race. Four Democratic senators — Peter Welch of Vermont, Jon Tester of Montana, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sherrod Brown of Ohio — have said the Democratic president should end his reelection campaign against Republican Donald Trump.

Biden’s performance at the debate raised open questions about the 81-year-old’s ability to mount a compelling campaign to defeat Trump.

Manchin, who became an independent in May after serving as a Democrat for many years, will not seek re-election to the Senate.