I spoke with West Virginia Democratic# Senator Joe Manchin to get his Se nator Joe Manchin, welcome to the "NewsHour."

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): Good to be with# you, Geoff.

GEOFF BENNETT: Sure.

Republicans blocking the border# security deal that the GOP initially## said it wanted.

What do you see as# the impact and the implications of## the unraveling of what would have been the# most significant immigration law in decades?

SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Geoff, I just# -- I can't even describe, I have## no description of what I witnessed# today on the floor of the Senate.

The only thing I can tell you, it reaffirmed my# decision not to run again, because I have totally## come to the conclusion -- they reaffirmed it today# -- you're not going to fix Washington with the## political discourse and division that we have here# in Washington.

So I'm going to do everything I can## going around the country trying to get people to# understand that the pressure has to be put on.

It's about our country.

It's not about# you or the party and people that are## running it.

And people that are running that's# worried about themselves or the party that t represent or the party they belong to, that should# do , which is basically protecting and defending# the Constitution and healing our country.

Geoff, 18,000 Border Patrol agents, 18,000# have supported this piece of legislation,## not for political reasons.

These are# people that were totally opposed to## Joe Biden's handling of the border since# day one.

They now have said this is the## most transformative piece of legislation that# they have seen that would secure our border.

And then, all of a sudden, because# of politics, Geoff, it fell apart.

GEOFF BENNETT: And at the moment, it# appears emergency aid for Ukraine,## Israel and the Indo-Pacific region,# all of that stands in limb You serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Yes.

GEOFF BENNETT: Absent action from is there any other way weapons and# SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Well, we're# trying everything humanly## possible.

And I would like t Ukraine desperately needs our support.

We need# Ukraine to win this figh Russia.

They have been unbelievable what they# have been able to do and the damage.

And they## have been able to show the vulnerabilities of# Russia, which I think has been helpful when## you see those bad actors we have around the world# that would like to cohere around another movement.

And we have countries that we have# foreign concerns, which is Russia,## China, North Korea, Iran.

And to# give them any more validity and## to show that Ukraine can do what they can# by themselves, with the assistance of us,## but fighting it themselves, and# we're not going to be there for them?

Shame on anybody that would not be able to## continue to support Ukraine to have# a victorious outcome.

GE OFF BENNETT: I want to return# to what you said about how this## chaos on the Hill reaffirms yo Back in December, you said that you were launching## a two-month winter tour to dete for a third-party ticket.

It's been# two months.

What have you decided?

SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Well, I think I have said this,## that the December -- I mean, the Super# Ar e we going to have what we have now?

Have# they moved and changed their positions any## whatsoever?

Has the Grand Old Party, can it# become grand again?

An Party become the responsible, sensible# party that it once was?

Can they come back,## or are they going to stay in their respective# corners, extreme left and extreme right, where## you basically have a radical, if you will, radical# positions that they're trying to mainstream?

They're weaponizing the political process in# America.

They're making people pick a side,## and the other side -- whatever side you pick,# the other side's supposed to be your enemy,## Geoff.

Well, I can assure you, the other side# is not my enemy.

That's my colleague.

We might# have differences.

We might be opponents# on different types of subject matters,## but we should always be working to# strengthen and make our country better.

If you want to find out where the# enemy is, I can show you where the## enemy that wants to do us harm around# the countr but it's not fellow Americans.

And we're allowing# that to be weaponized.

And we have to stop that.

GEOFF BENNETT: The... talking.

There's other good people, hopefully get# mo GEOFF BENNETT: The dynamics of the race likely# won't change between now and Super Tuesday, will## likely emerge with Donald Trump as the Republican# nominee and Joe Biden as the Democr So what more are you waiting for?

SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Well, if that's exa type of an opening, if there's a third party that# can truly be competitive and no that's a whole 'nother condition.# That's a whole 'nother scenario.

No one knows about that and who those people# would be.

I beli a person who might have been identified# as a Democrat at one time in their life,## a person who might be identified as a# Republican one time in their life party affiliations at one time that aren't going# to subscribe to the extremes of both parties a can come together as a team to run our country and# put it back together, so we're -- continue to be## the great United States of America, and not let# ourselves become the divided states of America.

We will be looking for that.

GEOFF BENNETT: SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Could be me or many other# people.

Coul a lot of good people that have left this# body because what th they couldn't take anymore.

I# can't either.

It's ridiculous.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let me ask you this, sir,# because No Labels' own polling ye ar shows that Donald Trump gains# when a moderate independen is included in the race.

He gets# a four-point -- four-point gain.

Is there a way to be a third-party candidate## without being a spoiler?# History sugg SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Well, I have# never been a spoiler in my life,## Geoff.

I'm not going to start now.

And# or other be -- any of that.

I won't -- I would# never be involve We have to see clear evidence that# there's some other opportunity that## we could help solidify our# country, unite our country.

GEOFF BENNETT: CNN reported days# ago that privately you have been## telling people that a Joe Biden# health sca conviction could give you an opening to# run as an independent.

Is SEN. JOE MANCHIN: There's a lot of things# that could give myself or many people.

I## just -- I don't have a burning desire.

And# I have said that.

I'm not out I will do whatever it takes and sacrifice anything## I possibly could to save my country and# protect my country and bring it And I believe we are dangerously -- and, after# today's vote on the most dangerous thing that## we have, a crisis we have facing us, which is the# unsecured border, and we have a fix, the people## that are opposed to the Democrat administration# that caused the problem, but are willing to fix it## today, and the Republicans who have identified the# problem and we worked together and got a bill and## a compromise Republican-Democrat bill, the border# security bill that we have in front of us today.

And they walked away from it because# of the politics?

That's what's wrong.## That's what we should be concerned about.

GEOFF BENNETT: There are certainly De you're needed in the Senate, that you are the# only Democrat arguab across West Virginia and that, as Democrats# face a tough election map for the Senate,## to try to keep control of the# Senate, they need you there.

SEN. JOE MANCHIN: Well, I have said this, Geoff.

It's -- I have been here 14 ha ve given everything I have to represent# my great state and the beautiful people of West Virginia and to defend the# Constitution.

I have done everything## I can.

And I will continue.

I have come# to the conclusion it can't be fixed here.

The politics, the business of politics,# the business of the Democrat Party,## the business of the Republican Party, the# amount of money comes in by just fight for your own identity and your own party# is not what we need for our country.

But## the business model is so profitable,# they're not going to change, Geoff.

And unless the people demand# changes, it's not going to happen.

GEOFF BENNETT: That is Democratic# Senator from West Virginia Joe Manchin.

Thank you for your time, sir.

SEN. JOE MANCHIN GEOFF BENNETT: Sure thing.

SEN. JOE MANCH