Joe Manchin Masterfully Trolls Joe Biden Before Press Conference Is Even Over – Opinion

President Joe Biden gave what was officially billed as a “press conference” at the White House earlier today where numerous whoppers were told, many concerning statements were made, and laughable claims about “overperforming expectations” were uttered. However, it was happening simultaneously on the U.S. Senate floor. It caused quite a stir.

During Biden’s presser, he was specifically asked about his inability to get “Build Back Better” and the so-called “voting rights” bill passed not just because Republicans opposed him but also because two Democrat Senators – West Virginia’s Joe Manchin and Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema – won’t budge on preserving the Senate’s filibuster rule, which Democrats abused with wild abandon when Donald Trump was president.

The gist of Biden’s responses to that question and others related to it was that it was going to be a tough job but that he was going to get things done, even if it had to be in “chunks.”

Biden was attempting to answer questions about the items on his list, but Manchin, complete with signs and placards, walked to the Senate’s floor to affirm his support for the filibuster rules.

In other words, while Joe Biden was holding only the second solo press conference of his presidency to date and promising he’d get things done, Joe Manchin was saying – in a nutshell – “I don’t think so, buddy”:

“Allowing one party to exert complete control in the Senate with only a simple majority will only pour fuel on the fire of political whiplash and dysfunction that is tearing this nation apart, and you don’t have to look very far to see how we’re tearing ourselves apart,” said Manchin, who added that if the Democrats’ gambit succeeded, “there’s not going to be any check on the executive branch.”

“Eliminating the filibuster would be the easy way out,” the moderate added later in his remarks. “I cannot support such a perilous course for this nation when elected leaders are sent to Washington to unite our country, not to divide our country. We’re called the United States, not the divided states and putting politics and party aside is what we’re supposed to do.”

Watch portions of Manchin’s speech below:

.@Sen_JoeManchinThe Senate is a body that doesn’t need rules. pic.twitter.com/dxBzzYo1oQ

— CSPAN (@cspan) January 19, 2022

.@Sen_JoeManchin: pic.twitter.com/3UVL1qbdit

— CSPAN (@cspan) January 19, 2022

I almost wish Senators could use sound effects to enhance their speeches. The end of the speech would have a Vincent Price-esque laugh. Wouldn’t be very statesman-like, but it’d still be funny to see.

But I digress. Here’s the split-screen summary of what actually happened.

Right now …
C-SPAN Live: Biden
C-SPAN2 LIVE: Manchin pic.twitter.com/F7jUX0Jzqh

— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) January 19, 2022

If Manchin is afraid of being “primaried,” as some Democrats are threatening to do, he’s sure not showing it, is he?

Related: ‘Voting Rights’ Letter From WV Sports Icons to Manchin Almost Included Priceless Nick Saban Footnote