Home » Manchin recalls close ties with ‘outsider’ Trump, cold shoulder from Obama in new book

Manchin recalls close ties with ‘outsider’ Trump, cold shoulder from Obama in new book

In his new memoir, former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., blamed the policies of former President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party for shifting West Virginia from blue to red.

FormerSen.JoeManchin,I-W.Va.,saidhespokemorewithPresidentDonaldTrumpinthefirsttwoyearsofTrump’stermthanwithformerPresidentBarackObamaduringObama’seightyearsinoffice. Inhisnewbook,“DeadCenter:InDefenseofCommonSense,”releasedthisweek,ManchinoutlinedacordialworkingrelationshipwithTrumpandafarchillier,lessactivebackandforthwithObama. Manchin,whoswitchedfromtheDemocraticPartytobecomeanIndependentbeforeretiringfromtheSenatelastyear,wrotethatheconsideredTrumpafellow“outsider”whenhearrivedinWashington,D.C.,forhisfirsttermandlaudedhimasthe“mostengagedpresidentIeverworkedwith”sinceformerPresidentBillClinton. MANCHINSAYSHEWANTEDGOPTOWINSENATETOSTOPDEMOCRATS’QUESTFOR‘RAWPOLITICALPOWER’ “Fromthestart,PresidentTrumphadanopenlineofcommunicationwithme,”hewrote.“Ispoketohimmor