Washington DC - Former Senator Joe Manchin on Sunday said he would not back Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez if she runs for president in 2028.

"Absolutely not," Manchin answered when asked during a Fox News interview if he would support a potential AOC White House bid.

"I mean, she has a place, I guess, within a constituency where she comes from in one little part of New York. If that's what they choose, then fine, I respect that," Manchin continued.

"I don't want her as a leader of our country at all. I think it would be devastating."

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The ex-senator from West Virginia noted that the two had many policy disagreements, including on AOC's push for a green energy transition.

No longer a Democrat, Manchin left Congress in January 2025. He registered as an independent in 2024 after tanking his former party's agenda around voting rights, social spending, and climate and taxation aims during the Joe Biden presidency.

The coal brokerage company founder was regularly criticized by climate activists while he was in office for his pro-fossil fuel stances.

AOC, who supports a Green New Deal, has not officially announced plans to enter the presidential race, but she is considered a likely Democratic contender in 2028.