Manchin Denies Being ‘Naive’ About Bipartisan Cooperation: I Hope More Republicans Will ‘Rise to the Occasion’

Senator Joe Manchin (D- WV) said on Sunday he’s not being “naive” about bipartisan cooperation when pressed by Chris Wallace.

Manchin penned an op-ed Sunday opposing the election reform bill Democrats have been trying to pass, and said any voting rights legislation should have bipartisan support. Manchin again emphasized on Fox News Sunday his defense of keeping the filibuster.

Wallace questioned Manchin on the idea he may be going about negotiations in “exactly the wrong way.”

“If you were to keep the idea that maybe you would vote to kill the filibuster, wouldn’t that give Republicans an incentive to actually negotiate, because old Joe Manchin’s out there and who knows what he’s going to do? By taking it off the table, haven’t you empowered Republicans to be obstructionists?” he asked.

Manchin disputed that and said, “We have seven brave Republicans that continue to vote for what they know is right and the facts as they see them.”

“I believe there’s a lot more of my Republican colleagues and friends that feel the same way. I’m just hoping they are able to rise to the occasion to defend our country and support our country and make sure that we have a democracy for this republic of all the people,” he continued. “I’m just very hopeful, I see good signs.”

Wallace pointed out how Republicans blocked the 1/6 commission and noted comments from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell about blocking President Joe Biden’s agenda.

“Aren’t you being naive about this continuing talk about bipartisan cooperation?” Wallace asked.

“I’m not being naive,” Manchin responded.

He said McConnell’s wrong for “trying to block all the good things that we’re trying to do for America.”

“I’m going to continue to keep working with my bipartisan friends and hopefully we can get more of them,” Manchin added.

You can watch above, via Fox News Sunday.

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