Sen. Joe Manchin[1] is on the hot seat over President Trump’s next Supreme Court nominee in West Virginia, where his Republican rival Patrick Morrisey says the incumbent Democrat is in a “lose-lose” situation.
Mr. Manchin[2] is among a trio of Senate Democrats running for re-election in red states this fall that backed Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation last year and is garnering lots of attention as the political world awaits Mr. Trump’s pick for the high court.
“Over the coming weeks, Joe Manchin[3] will dodge and weave in an impossible attempt to appease his liberal donors, President Trump and West Virginia voters,” said Nathan Brand, spokesman for the Morrisey campaign.
While many Democrats have vowed to oppose Mr. Trump’s pick, Mr. Manchin[4] has not, though he has signaled that a nominee that opposes Roe v. Wade could create “red flags” in the confirmation process.
Mr. Brand predicted Mr. Manchin[5] will ultimately support the president’s pick because he “has no choice.”
“This decision will not be motivated by principle … but sheer political survival,” Mr. Brand said, noting that Mr. Manchin[6] backed most of former President Barack Obama’s judicial picks....
The Morrisey camp also announced Monday that it had raised $1.28 million over the past three months of the campaign and has nearly $900,000 in cash on hand.