The Biden administration isn't expecting Sen. Joe Manchin to mount a third-party presidential bid, according to sources close to the White House, but does think he's trying to speak with President Joe Biden through the press rather than directly.
The West Virginia Democrat, who has announced he is not seeking reelection in 2024, has given several interviews in which he's criticized Biden for not trying hard enough to sell his agenda and to argue the president's policies are leaning more left, reports NBC News.
But administration sources, asking to speak anonymously, say that Manchin also probably won't run for president, noting their experience with the senator, who often delays Biden's agenda but ends up supporting it.
Manchin said in an interview with NBC News' Kristen Welker that he will decide on running most likely around the Super Tuesday elections in early March, around when a rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump would be more certain.
He also told Welker he would "absolutely" consider running for president as he's "scared to death" Trump could win in 2024.
"I will do anything I can to help my country, and you're saying, 'Does that mean you would consider it?' Absolutely," Manchin told Welker.
People around Manchin are saying he should move sooner with his decision. Biden's advisers are pointing out the senator's reluctance to become an election spoiler and his deep opposition to Trump.
Manchin told Welker that he and Biden have not spoken since he announced his decision not to seek reelection, saying that the president is "traveling quite a bit."
However, he said he's spoken to Steve Ricchetti, an adviser and "very close confidant" of Biden's.
"They understood. They didn't want me to leave, and I understand that," said Manchin.
A source close to the senator said that when Biden was the vice president, he was the "only Obama official who spoke to Manchin."
But now, Ricchetti, a senior counselor and Biden's chief of staff during his second vice presidential term, is the White House's main contact with Manchin, even though he and Biden speak directly sometimes.
One official said the White House would have preferred for Manchin to seek reelection. But another source said the senator's decision did not come as a surprise, considering West Virginia's conservative leanings and the race launched for the Senate by Republican Gov. Jim Justice.
Gayle Conelly Manchin, meanwhile, serves in the administration as federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission.
His daughter, Heather Manchin Bresch, a former CEO of Netherlands-based pharmaceutical company Mylan, in August launched Americans Together.
The organization, which promotes centrist candidates and policies, could serve to raise funds while promoting Manchin's message, even if he doesn't run for president.
The senator's advisers have also remained in contact with the No Labels organization, which is being seen as a sign that he could run for the White House if the group's efforts increase to launch a third-party candidate.