'The Five' react to Democrat slamming Manchin as a racist
'The Five' react to Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman insinuating Sen. Joe Manchin has biased motivations for refusing to support Biden's Build Back Better bill.
"The Five" slammed the Democrats, particularly The Squad, Wednesday for going after Sen. Joe Manchin's decision not to support President Biden's Build Back Better agenda despite having, in their view, empty political leverage in the Senate.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-NY, insinuated on CNN Monday that Manchin is a heartless person with prejudice.
"It's tremendously frustrating for me as a Black man in America because once again it's an example of Joe Manchin as a White man showing that he doesn't care about Black people. He doesn't care about Latinos, he doesn't care about immigrants. He doesn't care about women. And he doesn't care about the poor," the Democratic representative said.
Jesse Watters responded to Bowman's remarks and said, "What kind of tactician slanders someone as being a heartless White bigot for not voting the way they [think he/she] should vote? I mean, what are they going to push … Manchin into the arms of the Republican Party?" he said.
REP. BOWMAN: 'WHITE MAN' JOE MANCHIN DOESN'T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE, IMMIGRANTS, POOR
Democrats have a slim power majority in the Senate. Of 100 senators, 50 are Republican, 48 are Democrats, and 2 are Independents who caucus with the left side of the aisle. This electoral makeup would make Manchin a key vote for Build Back Better. His decision not to support the bill appeared to tank its trajectory.
"Manchin is just fine. He was put there to represent the people of West Virginia, not to vote with the squad. He is voting with his people, not his party, and that's how it should be," Watters said. "There is a race war brewing within the Democratic Party. It's going to backfire spectacularly, and I can't wait to watch it."
![JOE-MANCHIN-REMARKS-WASHINGTON-DC](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2021/11/1200/675/JOE-MANCHIN-REMARKS-WASHINGTON-DC.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) delivers remarks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S. November 1, 2021. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Other Squad members slammed Manchin and the Democratic establishment. Rep. Ilhan Omar said Manchin cannot be trusted and his "excuses" were "bulls---." Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed the Senate as part of an "old boys' club," and Ayanna Pressley said that all she wants for Christmas is "a senator that has compassion for the American people and not contempt."
Sen. Bernie Sanders said he wants to bring Build Back Better to a vote on the Senate floor so Manchin would have to explain to his constituents "why he doesn't have the guts to stand up to powerful special interests."
![Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during climate summit at Drake University](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2021/08/1200/675/GettyImages-1181128755.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with Sen. Bernie Sanders during a climate change event at Drake University on November 9, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
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Greg Gutfeld said, "If you don't have a huge majority, don't demand stupid things. And I think that's what happened … The Squad … made unreasonable demands that jarred with the reality of the Democrat predicament in the Senate. It wasn't going to happen."
Dana Perino said The Squad's ignorance makes her laugh. "They have such little self-awareness. It's like Michael Scott's level [of] self-awareness." Scott, played by Steve Carell, is a character from hit TV show "The Office" and boss at Dunder Mifflin.
"They think that they're going after … Manchin is going to hurt [him] … That's hilarious to me," Perino said. "They are doing themselves a huge disservice."