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Manchin Chides Fellow Democrats for Not Standing for Trump at SOTU

January 31, 2018

Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) on Wednesday chided his fellow congressional Democrats for not standing out of respect for President Donald Trump during the State of the Union the prior night.

CNN host Alisyn Camerota asked Manchin about the decision of most Democratic lawmakers not to stand for Trump as he entered the joint session of Congress on Tuesday.

"Did you see disrespect on the part of Democrats?" Camerota asked.

Manchin criticized both Republicans and Democrats for disrespecting the president of the opposite of party.

"I've seen it on both sides. I was there when Obama gave speeches. I was there on that horrible night when he said 'you lie,' and I saw them not standing," Manchin said, referring to when Republican Rep. Joe Wilson (S.C.) interrupted a speech that then-President Barack Obama delivered to a joint session of Congress in 2009.

"That was disrespectful and I said, 'This is not how I was raised in West Virginia and the family I was raised in,' and then I saw last night the disrespect. You respect the office," Manchin continued.

Manchin explained that one can disagree with the president and still stand and be respectful.

"You can disagree. I can stand up and still disagree and respect, but I want to move forward," Manchin said. "The president laid out some things that I can work with."

Manchin cited Trump mentioning the fight against opiate abuse and the desire to pursue clean-coal technology as areas where he wants to work with the president.