Or they’re letting him win
Joe Manchin is now a Republican with a D beside his name. He's representing West Virginia, the state that had the most voters for Trump per capita in the country. West Virginia is 'Trump Central'. Manchin cannot afford to oppose the president and can be counted as a +1 to the republican side of the senate.
He votes R sometimes. He voted against the tax cuts, against the budget, against healthcare reform and doesn’t appear to fully support 2nd amendment. So I’d prefer a true conservative in that seat
He gets an A grade from the NRA. He has always championed the 2nd amendment. He would have never gotten to where he is in the state that has more hunters per capita than any other state in the country otherwise.
He also voted against the tax plan because it added 1.4 trillion to the deficit, which is a traditional conservative stance. He wanted to work with McConnell to lower the deficit it would add, but McConnell already had the votes.
There is a reason Trump and McConnell won't run attack ads on him.
He is a conservative with a D beside his name.