Calls Build for Manchin to Follow Sinema in Leaving Democratic Party

Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced in an op-ed on Friday that she's ditching the Democratic Party to register as an independent. Now, some are demanding that another Democratic senator follow suit: West Virginia's Joe Manchin.

Along with Sinema, Manchin is viewed by many political observers as one of the country's most powerful people. Their less-reliably-liberal votes can either grant the green light or spell doom for legislation in an otherwise stalemated U.S. Senate.

The Democrats narrowly held on to their Senate majority following November's midterm elections. And this week, after Republican candidate Herschel Walker conceded in Georgia's U.S. Senate runoff election against Senator Raphael Warnock, Democrats locked in a 51-49 majority.

Yet while critics have decried Sinema as a "traitor," news of her defection has also energized some conservatives. Many right-leaning social media users are egging on Manchin to similarly jump ship.

"Who wants to see Joe Manchin join Kyrsten Sinema and leave the Democrat Party as well?" Twitter user @__TEAM_USA said in a Friday morning tweet.

In another tweet, Maine state Senator Eric Brakey wrote: "Joe Manchin, you coming?"

At least one person even joked that Manchin and Sinema should form their own independent caucus. Other Twitter users argued that Sinema's departure signifies a "radical" undercurrent working to erode the party.

"If you look at the big issues (LGBT, immigration, economy, etc), Krysten Sinema is well to the left of the political center," tweeted Ben Kew, editor-at-large of El American. "The fact that she no longer identifies with the Democratic Party tells you everything you need to know about how radical it has become. Manchin next?"

Dinesh D'Souza, a far-right filmmaker and conspiracy theorist, also brought up Manchin in posts on the conservative social media platform Truth Social.

"Joe Manchin is next, except he should go the whole hog and become a Republican," he wrote.

In a later post on the same platform, D'Souza apparently had a bit of fun with puns, quipping: "Sinema's exit from the Democratic Party is very SINEMATIC but Manchin's exit would be downright MANTASTIC!"

Some liberals have also weighed in. One Twitter user, @Blake_Allen13, posted a picture of Manchin posing with a statue of the Mothman, a West Virginia cryptid, along with the caption: "The worst thing about today is I respect this man a lot more than I did yesterday."

Manchin's office declined Newsweek's request for comment.