Manchin: Atmosphere right for ‘complete tsunami’ in midterms

Former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) said the midterms are trending toward being a “complete tsunami” ahead of the November elections where the GOP is projected to lose the majority in the House.

“Well, the atmosphere is definitely right, I believe, for a complete tsunami,” the former senator said, responding to a question from Blake Burman on NewsNation, The Hill’s sister station. “Cost of living is everything right now.”

A new AP/NORC poll found around 80 percent of respondents said they believed lawmakers should make lowering prices one of their highest priorities in the 120th Congress.

“People in West Virginia are having a hard time, grocery prices are out of sight, gasoline prices are out of sight, and we’re in a rural state. Rural states basically drive a long way to take care of your jobs and take care of your family,” Manchin continued.

“And with all of the things working, all the winds blowing against people, having any type of a quality of life now, just struggling,” he said. “And the president’s kind of nonchalant talking about things that basically doesn’t seem to resonate or connect.”

When asked what races Democrats are likely to win in states that President Trump carried in his 2024 presidential bid, Manchin first referenced races in Ohio and North Carolina.

He said he believed Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will “pay a price in Ohio” for a recent controversial ad his campaign released regarding his opponent Democrat Amy Acton, showing her estranged mother calling her a “liar.”

“In North Carolina, Roy Cooper has definitely looked like he’s going to win it,” Manchin said.

An Elon University poll of the North Carolina Senate race found 52 percent of respondents favored former Gov. Roy Cooper (D), while the GOP’s Michael Whatley only received 39 percent backing.

Manchin has campaigned this election cycle with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who is the only Republican running for reelection in a state where former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024. He endorsed Collins in September and has even encouraged the sitting senator to leave the GOP to become an independent.