A clip of Senate Majority Chuck Schumer’s speech after the upper chamber raised the debt ceiling went viral, not so much for what he was saying, but because of Sen. Joe Manchin’s reaction to it behind him.
A frustrated Manchin was filmed shaking his head, putting his hands over his face, and appearing to mouth “this is crazy” as the New York Democrat railed against Republicans.
“Republicans played a dangerous and risky partisan game, and I am glad that their brinksmanship did not work,” Schumer said. “Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans insisted they wanted a solution to the debt ceiling — but said Democrats must raise it alone by going through a drawn out, convoluted, and risky reconciliation process.”
Manchin then put his hands over his face before eventually getting up and walking out. After the speech he was reportedly seen speaking to Schumer.
Manchin was not digging Schumer's victory lap. Gets up and leaves. pic.twitter.com/Yd3z4zUC11
— SCUBA MIKE?? (@mescubamike) October 8, 2021
The West Virginia Democrat confirmed he was frustrated with Schumer’s remarks to reporters afterwards.
"I didn't think it was appropriate at this time," Manchin said.
"I just think that basically what we've got to do is find a pathway forward, to make sure that we de-weaponize. We have to de-weaponize. You can't be playing politics. None of us can—on both sides," he said.
"I'm just saying ... civility is gone, OK? And I'm not going to be part of getting rid of that but I'm gonna try to bring it back," Manchin added.
Manchin tells us he didn’t like Schumer’s speech after the vote to break a filibuster on the debt ceiling. "I didn't think it was appropriate at this time," he said, arguing that "we need to de-weaponize" and stop "playing politics … That was not a way to take (frustration) out” pic.twitter.com/TsGDsMNAqK
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 8, 2021
Manchin wasn’t the only one who took issue with Schumer’s remarks. Republican Sen. John Thune, one of the 11 GOP senators who voted to end debate on the measure, also blasted the speech.
"I thought it was totally out of line. I just thought it was an incredibly partisan speech after we had just helped him solve a problem," Thune said. "I let him have it."
Schumer railed on Rs about the debt drama after 11 voted to overcome a filibuster and move to a final vote on debt ceiling.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 8, 2021
Multiple GOP senators were angry about it. “Classless speech,” Mike Rounds told me. Says Republicans wouldn’t cooperate next time. He was one of the 11