Manchin urges politicians to 'calm down'

Former West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday urged politicians to take a step back from their political rhetoric and use the Christmas season to embrace a more cordial approach to disagreement.

The former senator represented a deep red state for multiple terms and was known as a moderate in the upper chamber.

“We have got to get out of attack mode. You are not the enemy. And the American people aren’t stupid, John, and they should sit down at the same roundtable and do what’s best for America, best for New York, or best for every state in the union," he said to radio host John Catsimatidis.

“I just think, basically, we’re in the most holiest of seasons right now, the blessed holidays that we’re in, and I’m thanking everybody and bless them for this season,” he added. “We’ve got to calm down a little bit."

His remarks come in the wake of a government shutdown that saw lawmakers on both sides of the aisle trade harsh jabs over healthcare reform. The issue persists as Congress attempts to draft a solution for expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.