Manchin Roasts Biden’s ‘17 Educated Idiots’ Over COVID, Inflation, and More [WATCH]

Outgoing Independent Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia didn’t hold back when reflecting on his frustrations with President Biden’s leadership and the advice Biden followed during his term.

Speaking candidly on CBS’s The Takeout podcast, Manchin argued that poor counsel led to major policy missteps on inflation, immigration, and Afghanistan.

As reported by Fox News, Manchin recounted his attempts to steer Biden toward bipartisan cooperation during discussions on the American Rescue Plan. However, he was dismissed in favor of advice from what Manchin derisively referred to as “17 educated idiots.”

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He explained that they were telling Biden what he “wanted to hear” because he “paid them.”

Manchin highlighted his early warnings about inflation risks when Democrats pushed to extend unemployment benefits through October 2021.

“You’ve got inflation coming at you hard when you do this, and now you’re still keeping people out of the workforce because you’re going to give them an extension clear up until October 2021 of unemployment benefits, and they can’t go back and can’t be threatened to lose their unemployment benefits,” he said. “You’ve got a perfect storm hitting you.”

Despite his efforts, his concerns fell on deaf ears. He recalled being criticized when he cautioned that excessive government spending would lead to economic overheating.

“Remember when I stopped and it shut down for about eight or 10 hours? That’s because they were extending unemployment benefits, and we had a vaccine that worked,” Manchin said, pointing out the reckless spending habits of the administration.

According to Manchin, Congress acted responsibly during the Trump administration’s pandemic-era stimulus packages by working in a bipartisan manner. But Biden’s decision to pivot to the budget reconciliation process for the American Rescue Plan marked a departure from that cooperation.

Appearing on CBS’s “The Takeout” podcast on Friday, Manchin recounted how he tried to convince Biden to work across the aisle on the American Rescue Plan and how he warned about the dangers of inflation if Democrats went through with plans to extend unemployment benefits through… pic.twitter.com/qh9kfrC9qu

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Manchin’s dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party has been brewing for years. Once a critical swing vote in a narrowly divided Senate, he recently declared his independence from the party after decades of affiliation. “To stay true to myself and remain committed to putting country before party, I have decided to register as an independent,” Manchin announced in May 2024.

The decision comes after months of tension. Manchin often found himself at odds with his party’s progressive agenda, including immigration and climate policies. His departure underlines his commitment to representing what he calls “America’s sensible majority.”

While Manchin’s political future remains uncertain, his sharp critique of Biden’s leadership and the administration’s policy decisions underscores broader discontent among moderates. His stance on inflation, government spending, and immigration reflects a broader conservative perspective on the need for fiscal responsibility and bipartisan governance.

Manchin’s remarks signal a growing divide within Washington, as centrists like him find themselves alienated by increasingly polarized politics. Whether his move will galvanize others to follow suit or further isolate him remains to be seen.