‘The Senate Seat’s Gone’: MSNBC Pundit Throws in the Towel After Manchin Says He’s Not Running Again

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced on Thursday he will not seek a third term in the U.S. Senate in 2024.

Manchin would have faced an uphill battle against the presumptive Republican nominee, Gov. Jim Justice, who is quite popular in the state.

Democrats, who hold a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate, face a brutal map next year where Democrats will try to defend seats in Arizona, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Meanwhile, the opportunities for Democratic gains are minimal.

In a video announcing his retirement from the Senate, Manchin may have hinted at a presidential run.

“But what I will be doing is traveling the country, and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together,” he said.

Charlie Dent, a former Republican congressman offered a blunt assessment for Democrats on Thursday’s Katy Tur Reports.

“Look, the Senate seat’s gone,” he declared. “Trump was winning that state by 40 points and Manchin said he was defying political gravity.”

Dent went on to suggest there is room in the 2024 presidential race for a viable third-party contender.

“But I do think that there is actually a lane for an independent third-party movement,” he continued. “I don’t think the ground has been more fertile. Two-thirds of voters don’t like either Donald Trump or Joe Biden. They think one is too old and one is too crazy.”

Watch above via MSNBC.