Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has accused senior members of the White House staff of intimidating him into backing President Joe Biden's $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act.
''They figured surely to God we can move one person. We surely can badger and beat one person up,'' Manchin told reporters Monday, according to The Washington Times.
''Surely we can get enough protesters to make that person uncomfortable enough that they'll just say, 'OK, I'll vote for anything.'''
''Well, guess what? I'm from West Virginia. I'm not from where they're from and they can just beat the living crap out of people and think they'll be submissive, period,'' Manchin added.
In a radio interview with West Virginia Metro News, Manchin said the White House miscalculated its negotiating position for the bill.
The Times mentions that most of the intimidation stemmed from members of President Joe Biden's staff, not the president directly.
''They know the real reason. … It's staff-driven,'' he said. ''They drove some things, and they put some things out that were absolutely inexcusable. They know what it is.''