Manchin 'absolutely' can see himself as president, thinks Biden health or Trump conviction could give opening

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is privately making the case that a "health scare" for President Biden or a "conviction" for former President Trump could give him the opportunity he needs to win a run for president this year, per a new report. 

"Privately, the West Virginia Democrat has told people that a Joe Biden health scare or a Donald Trump conviction could give him an opening to run as an independent this year," CNN reported. 

Manchin told the outlet that he can "absolutely" see himself as President of the United States and is telling potential voters that he exercised a key influence on "everything" in Biden's legislative agenda. 

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Sen. Joe Manchin is privately making the case that a "health scare" for President Biden or a "conviction" for former President Trump could give him the opportunity he needs to win a run for president this year, per a new report.  (Getty Images)

Manchin has broken from the Democrats on a number of key votes during Biden's presidency, including in 2021 on the For the People Act. Manchin has portrayed himself as a centrist politically compared to his more progressive colleagues in the Senate, saying that he believes in uniting the country. 

Using similar rhetoric, Manchin told CNN Biden is a "good, decent man" but he's concerned that a second Biden presidency would also bring back "far, far-left liberals" into the White House. The possibility of the West Virginia Democrat running on a third-party ticket, such as under the bipartisan No Labels banner, has caused some on the left to worry that such a run could hurt Biden's chances.

Manchin said Trump's chances at becoming president in 2024 should be "very much concerning to every human being and every person who basically loves the country that we have, and the life that we have, and trying to have a future for our children and future generations."

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A person "familiar" with Manchin's strategy shot down claims that Manchin is only toying with the idea of running for president.  (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

A person "familiar" with Manchin's strategy shot down claims that the senator is only toying with the idea of running for president. 

"He’s traveling the country," the person told CNN. "This is beyond (the) Beltway Bubble game." 

Manchin has held a unique place in the closely divided U.S. Senate during the Biden administration, as a Democrat from one of the reddest states in the country. Had he lost re-election in 2018, Republicans would have had a one-seat majority when Biden first took office in 2021.

Manchin also weighed in on the abortion debate, which Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats are emphasizing as a key issue in the months leading up to November. 

"No matter what side of the fence you might be on, where you are for philosophically, we learned to navigate that," Manchin said in an interview with CNN. 

"In the most divisive time in our country right now, when they’re trying to pull us further apart, why would you do something such as that?" he added, referring to the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Roe v. Wade.

Manchin is teasing a third-party presidential bid after Super Tuesday on March 5, as the country appears headed for a 2020 rematch after Trump scored wins in Iowa and New Hampshire this month.

"Super Tuesday pretty much confirms whatever is going to happen, what we believe will happen, and we'll see where we go from there," Manchin told reporters Tuesday, the day of the New Hampshire primary. 

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Fox News' Jamie Joseph and Tyler Olsen contributed to this report.