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Former Democratic Senator Joe Manchin is taking sharp aim at President Joe Biden and his own party in his new memoir, “Dead Center,” arguing that Democratic leadership has embraced toxic branding, weakened democratic institutions, and abandoned the “commonsense middle ground” most Americans value.

Manchin’s Rift with Party Leadership

In excerpts obtained by Punchbowl News, Manchin accused top Democrats — including Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, along with Senate leaders Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer — of systematically undermining checks and balances.

“I don’t say this lightly, but under the leadership of President Obama and Majority Leader Harry Reid, and later President Biden and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrats have systematically tried to weaken the very guardrails that have protected our democracy for generations — all in the name of advancing their agenda,” Manchin wrote.

For a closer look at Manchin’s book, see Dead Center on Amazon.

Dead Center Describes Filibuster Fight

Throughout his Senate career, Manchin resisted efforts to abolish the filibuster, often siding with Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema. He recounted facing immense pressure from Schumer in 2022 to weaken Senate rules for election legislation.

“Schumer wasn’t interested in debate or persuasion,” Manchin said. “He wanted a spectacle … This wasn’t about governing or principle. It was about power.”

Manchin revealed he even hoped Republicans would win the Senate in 2024, seeing GOP control as “the only hope for preserving the Senate as an institution.” He admitted he should have considered switching parties after Donald Trump’s 2016 election, though he ultimately stayed a Democrat.

More on Manchin’s clashes with party leaders is detailed in this report.

Biden’s “Very Bad Temper”

Manchin also described heated exchanges with President Biden. During negotiations over the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in early 2021, Manchin said he blasted Biden as “reckless” for “sending a f---ing check to everyone.” The plan, he noted, contributed to inflation reaching 9.1% in June 2022 — the highest in nearly four decades.

“Biden has a very bad temper,” Manchin wrote, adding that he gave as good as he got during the tense discussions.

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Critique of “Woke” Politics

Positioning himself as “fiscally responsible and socially compassionate,” Manchin criticized Democrats for drifting too far left.

“When the party pushes hard on woke ideology, DEI mandates, and other social agendas, it creates unnecessary divisions, alienates everyday citizens, and moves us further away from the commonsense middle ground,” he argued.

His remarks echo his long-standing frustrations with what he calls the party’s “toxic” branding.

For more background on his Senate record, see Manchin’s biography.

Manchin retired from the Senate at the end of 2024 but continues to influence political debates with his independent streak. Ironically, despite their battles, Schumer reportedly asked him to run for re-election to preserve a Democratic seat in West Virginia.

With Dead Center, Manchin cements his reputation as a political maverick — one willing to criticize both sides in the name of protecting institutional balance and moderation.