Former Dem Manchin blames Biden border failure for Trump’s return

Former Sen. Joe Manchin, IW. Va., called out Democratic leadership on Thursday, saying they mismanaged the border and that Americans will re-elect President Donald Trump.

Manchin, a former Democrat, spoke candidly with Terry Moran report At the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Texas. Manchin criticized the leadership of both parties but said the Biden administration bears much of the blame for the nation’s border crisis. When Moran asked what Trump did well, Manchin gave a blunt but nuanced answer.

“The border,” Manchin said.

“Even the way he did it?” he asked.

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“No,” Manchin said. “You said the right thing. Securing the border was the right thing to do.”

He went on to criticize Democrats’ mishandling of the issue: “They can’t even say we made a mistake. I begged them not to do asylum at the border. We never did that.”

Manchin said border mismanagement gave Trump “all the protection he needs to do all these ugly things that are happening.”

“Joe Biden’s failure?” Moran asked for clarity.

“It is a failure of the Democratic Party under Joe Biden,” he confirmed.

Manchin also weighed in on Trump’s “tough-on-crime” stance, saying he would react differently than governors who have resisted federal aid and called it government overreach.

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Chaos at America’s southern border was one of the key issues plaguing the Biden administration, as millions of undocumented illegal immigrants poured into America. (John Moore/Getty Images/Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“If I had a crime-ridden district when I was governor and I didn’t have the resources to take care of it, I would invite him in,” Manchin said, referring to Trump’s use of the National Guard. “Bring in the Marines, bring in the Air Force, bring in everything!”

Moran interjected: “The federal government shouldn’t be doing this…”

“I know that, but I’m just saying this – let me make sure you understand. If I were in that bad of a situation where I didn’t have the resources, OK, or if I did that, I wouldn’t fight if he wanted to let people in.”

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National Guard members stand on a sidewalk in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 5, 2025, amid President Donald Trump’s federalization of troops in the city. (Fatih Aktaş/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Fox News Digital reached out to former President Biden’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.