Former Sen. Manchin urges Fetterman to ‘set yourself free’ by becoming an independent

Former Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia, is recommending that Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) follow in his path and leave the Democratic Party. “My observation, and recommendation from observation, would be, John, trust me, set yourself free and become an independent,” Manchin said in a Tuesday morning phone interview with the Washington Examiner. “It’s liberating.” Manchin, who left the Democratic Party in 2024 and opted not to seek a third term that same year, said if Fetterman wants to work with both sides of the aisle, becoming an independent would allow the Pennsylvania Democrat to “speak as a...