Manchin: Collins should leave GOP, become an independent

Former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) suggested this week that Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) should leave the Republican Party to become an independent. 

Manchin, who made the switch from the Democratic Party to become an independent in 2024, has repeatedly pushed for more lawmakers to break away from the two-party system. 

The former senator told Semafor after joining the Maine incumbent on the campaign trail this week that Collins “is independent” but that she “has to come to that conclusion” first.

“She’s as independent as any Republican is up there,” Manchin told the outlet. “But the bottom line is, she has to make that decision.”

The Hill has reached out to the Maine senator’s campaign for comment. 

Manchin visited a New Balance shoe........

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