Joe Manchin rips Chuck Schumer for working against ‘dear friend’ Susan Collins: ‘he’s crazy’

Former Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin took a swipe at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Wednesday for working to oust his “dear friend” Sen. Susan Collins — calling him “crazy” for targeting the Maine Republican.

Manchin, who left the Democratic Party in 2024 to become an independent before retiring from the Senate in 2025, joined Collins on the campaign trail in Lewiston, Maine, where he praised the five-term Republican as “the soul of the Senate.”

When asked whether his appearance alongside Collins amounted to a “middle finger” to Schumer, Manchin said the Senate Democratic leader should not be surprised.

“Me being with my dear friend, there is no surprise there at all,” Manchin told reporters, per Fox News. “I told him he was crazy in 2020 for working against her so hard, and he’s so crazy now to work against her.” 

Manchin’s appearance comes as Collins faces a tough reelection fight against Democrat Troy Jackson, a former Maine Senate president, in one of the country’s closely watched Senate contests.

Democrats are hoping to flip the seat as they fight to reclaim control of the upper chamber, with Schumer making Collins a target in both the 2020 and 2026 election cycles.

But Manchin, who served in the Senate alongside Collins for years, argued that Washington needs more lawmakers willing to work across party lines.

“She is the soul of America. She is the soul of the Senate, and he knows he needs more Susan Collins, no matter what side of the aisle they’re on,” Manchin said. “This is ridiculous.” 

The former West Virginia senator has repeatedly backed Collins, including in 2020, when she faced a challenge from Democrat Sara Gideon after voting to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The two lawmakers also worked together on bipartisan legislation, including the 2021 infrastructure law and the 2022 Electoral Count Act overhaul, which revised the process for certifying presidential election results after the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

Manchin’s support comes as Collins seeks to emphasize her bipartisan record while facing pressure over her ties to President Trump.

The Republican has highlighted instances where she broke with the administration, while Jackson has argued that her votes have too often aligned with the president’s agenda.

Manchin acknowledged the political headwinds facing Collins during Wednesday’s appearance, telling reporters that Trump “owns this economy” and that Republicans would have to answer for the state of the economy at the ballot box.

“This is their economy and they have to face that,” Manchin said of the Trump administration.

Later in the day Wednesday, Manchin and Collins stumped together at a New Balance plant in Norway, Maine, where the West Virginian reiterated his point about the need for more bipartisanship in DC.

“The country needs her in Washington. Maine needs her extremely in Washington,” he said. “You should be extremely proud of [her]. I am proud to call her my friend.”

“So let’s get out and reelect the greatest senator in the United States of America, Susan Collins.”

Manchin served in the Senate as a Democrat from West Virginia from 2010 until January 2025. He changed his registration to independent in 2024, after announcing that he would not seek reelection.

Collins, first elected to the Senate in 1996, is the only Republican representing New England in the chamber and has long cultivated a moderate reputation. Her race against Jackson is expected to be pivotal in determining which party controls the Senate next year.

The Post reached out to Collins’, Jackson’s and Schumer’s campaigns for comment but did not receive an immediate response.