Is Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) going to run for president in 2024?

He hasn’t said yet, but he’s certainly been sending out a lot of signals that he may thinking along those lines. He has said that he will be deciding on the question by December. He has refused to endorse Joe Biden, and he wouldn’t even say whether he would run as a Democrat or on a third-party ticket.

WATCH: @Sen_JoeManchin (https://t.co/A9qEVDhA58.) says he won't decide on a presidential run until "the end of the year."@chucktodd: "Do you know for sure whether you'll be running as a Democrat?"

"The party identification is not going to change me." pic.twitter.com/xfH41irmVX

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 2, 2023

His phrasing there about no identification is interesting, since there is a “No Labels” movement.

This also looks like he is trying to buff up his foreign policy look by going to Ukraine.

So Joe Manchin is running for President… interesting… https://t.co/SNqr4pEzFT

— Jobob (@JobobTaeleifi) April 14, 2023

That isn’t going to help him much with the mass in the center and on the right who think that we have a ton of money without end being poured out to Ukraine, without our priorities at home receiving the focus that they should be getting. But if he runs as a Democrat or even as a third party, he’s going to pull some Democrats away from Biden.

Whether Manchin is running or not, he’s disturbed at Joe Biden now because he feels the Biden administration was not adhering to what they agreed to in the Inflation Reduction Agreement (IRA). Manchin is even threatening to sue the Biden administration if they don’t adhere to the provisions in the IRA about electric vehicles as written. He’s afraid that the Biden team is trying to get around restrictions meant to reduce reliance on China and keep production within the U.S. or U.S. trade allies.

Manchin’s letting Biden know about his unhappiness by tanking his nominees, and that’s a great thing. He’s tanked at least three nominees already—and it looks he’s also not happy with Julie Su, Biden’s nominee for Labor Secretary

As we reported, Su is a terrible nominee. She was the architect of AB 5 — the horrible California gig worker move that cost thousands of people their jobs — in addition to mismanaging the Employment Development Department (EDD), a state agency charged with providing unemployment benefits, which resulted in the state losing $40 billion in fraudulent claims.

The “Stand Against Su” movement is highlighting the problems

“In total, nearly $40 billion was stolen from taxpayers in the form of fraudulent unemployment payments. Su was named in the state audit for her failed leadership which led to this unprecedented failure,” the Stand Against Su website highlights, also pointing to how the long-term consequences of her failures mean higher taxes for Californians.

Other concerns raised by the coalition include her wanting to eliminate the tipped minimum wage, stance on border security, and how her “hatred of capitalism is evident in her anti-business rhetoric and record[.]”

Su’s hearing is next week, and according to “people familiar with the situation,” Manchin has told the Biden administration he has “deep reservations” about her. As Axios notes, with one more defection or one more Democrat not being present, Su would be done. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) has also not said where she stands, and word is she has concerns as well.

Another thing that isn’t helping her is her seemingly snotty response to Republicans wanting to meet with her to question her, a normal part of the nomination process. She’s refusing to meet with them. Not exactly a good look if you want them to vote for you, and it shows how radical she is. The Republicans told her in a letter that they were “disappointed” with her, writing that “[a] decision to refuse a Committee interview would not instill confidence that you will be transparent or accountable as Secretary of Labor. Therefore, we ask that you make yourself available to committee staff when requested.”

If Manchin throws a roadblock there, Su might be done. If Manchin doesn’t run for president, he has to get re-elected in West Virginia, so that’s another reason he might be trying to put as much distance as he can between himself and Joe Biden. Right now, a vote for Su is not going to look good in his state.