Sen. Manchin calls on Biden to step aside: 'pass the torch'

Senator Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., added his name on Sunday to the list of politicians calling on President Joe Biden to end his campaign.

"I say this, and I came to the decision with a heavy heart, that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation," Manchin told Jake Tapper on Sunday's "State of the Union," CNN reported.

Manchin called for an "open process" to pick a new candidate if Biden drops out, suggesting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro or Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear as possible successors.

When asked if he has noticed a decline in Biden's mental state, Manchin told Tapper, "I have not."

Manchin now becomes the fifth U.S. senator to have called for Biden to drop out of the race. The others are Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).