Mooney says Manchin isn't a supporter of Donald Trump

Aug. 31—U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., is taking issue with a new political advertisement that links Democrat Joe Manchin with former President Donald Trump.

Mooney, who is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Manchin in 2024 for West Virginia's high-profile U.S. Senate race, said Manchin isn't a friend of Trump.

Instead, Manchin voted to impeach Trump twice in the U.S. Senate, Mooney's campaign said Wednesday.

According to Mooney's campaign, Duty and Honor PAC, which is affiliated with Senate Democrats, released the ad painting Manchin as a "pro-Trump" guy

Fox News reported that the ad says Manchin worked with Trump to help thousands of coal miners in West Virginia.

Manchin has not yet confirmed whether or not he intends to seek re-election to the U.S. Senate in now heavily Republican West Virginia. He is the last Democrat in West Virginia still holding a statewide office.

The Mountain State contest is one of only a few races that will help determine which political party controls the U.S. Senate in 2024. Manchin is expected to announce his intentions in the December or January timeframe.

Republican Gov. Jim Justice also is seeking the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate race.

Mooney's Campaign Manager John Findlay said Wednesday that Manchin also voted to support the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which he said resulted in record inflation across the nation and West Virginia.

"While Duty and Honor wastefully spends hundreds of thousands of dollars tying Manchin to Trump, we know that's far from the truth," Findlay said. "Joe Manchin and Jim Justice will do anything to bow down to Joe Biden and the liberal swamp establishment who have failed America. The RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) and far-left cronies are running rampant because they know that the only candidate in this race who has supported Donald J. Trump since day one is Alex Mooney."

Justice secured a key endorsement earlier this week in the U.S. Senate race from the West Virginia Coal Association, which said Justice was the best candidate to fight for the state's coal industry.

Chris Hamilton, president and chief executive officer of the West Virginia Coal Association, said the West Virginia race could determine which political party controls the U.S. Senate in 2024.

"Our industry views the race for U.S. Senate as important as the presidential race," Hamilton said Tuesday. "This race may determine control of the Senate and whether New York Democrat Chuck Schumer continues to set the agenda, name committee chairs, and call the plays. We believe West Virginia will be better served with a new and insightful leader in the Senate which is why we offer our unconditional support for Jim Justice to succeed Senator Joe Manchin."

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com. Follow him @BDTOwens