Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin has thrown his support behind actor Matthew McConaughey's recent call for voters to consider independent candidates as a way to break the partisan gridlock in Washington. In an interview Monday on NewsNation's The Hill, Manchin said McConaughey's message was “absolutely so accurate,” echoing the actor's plea for a “fair fight” in the midterms.
McConaughey, who has long flirted with political involvement, took to social media Sunday to argue that America's “No. 1 identity is independent.” He urged voters to treat independents not as protest votes or spoilers, but as credible contenders who deserve serious consideration. The actor specifically cited Manchin's Independent Leadership Council, a group launched last year to support centrist candidates, as an example of the kind of movement needed to restore balance.
Manchin, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent last year, said McConaughey “knows the math” and “took all the fire” for his independent stance in the Senate. In his interview, Manchin stressed that progress requires lawmakers willing to work across the aisle. “If you want to get something done and you have two, three, or four in the middle who say, 'I will work with either side who has our country's best interest at heart,' that's where we'll go,” he said.
The former senator warned against the dangers of party loyalty overriding national interest. “If you're playing just to the party to demonize the other side, count us out. We're out of this. We don't belong to either one of you,” he said, adding that this vision of governance is “how the country started” and “how it was intended to be.”
Manchin invoked President George Washington's farewell address, which cautioned against the “baneful effects of the spirit of party,” warning that factions could become “engines that usurp the power from the people.” He criticized the outsized influence of party machinery, asking, “How do they control everything? How do they get all the elections to where they're able to control—change the laws and change the rules?”
If Democrats regain control of Congress, Manchin urged them to focus on governance rather than revenge. “If you're going for retaliation and retribution, you're going down the primrose path you can't return from,” he said. He called on lawmakers to “hit the ground running” on issues like the cost of living, the national debt, and improving Americans' lives.
When asked about McConaughey's political future, Manchin said the Oscar-winning actor has the qualities to run for president. “He's smart. He's charismatic. He's able to communicate. He's able to tell a story that makes sense and you'll listen to. He has all the qualities and all the ingredients that it takes to bring this country together,” Manchin said, adding he would be “1,000 percent behind him.”
The Senate currently has two independents—Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine—while California Republican-turned-independent Kevin Kiley faces a tough reelection as the only unaffiliated House member. Manchin's comments come amid growing concerns about independent voters' influence in key races, a dynamic that could shape the midterms. His endorsement of McConaughey's message may also fuel speculation about the actor's potential entry into politics, though McConaughey has not announced any plans.
