GOP Sen. John Cornyn says he texted Joe Manchin to try to poach him from the Democrats

• GOP Sen. John Cornyn told KXAN he had texted Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin inviting him to defect. 
• Earlier this week Manchin angered Democrats by refusing to back Biden’s signature domestic bill. 
• Manchin has long been rumored to be considering a defection from the Democratic Party.

Sen. John Cornyn said he texted Sen. Joe Manchin inviting him join the Republican Party after the Democrat faced a furious backlash for his opposition to President Joe Biden’s signature domestic bill.

Cornyn, a Texas Republican, told KXAN that he texted Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, with the message: “Joe, if they don’t want you we do.”

Cornyn added that recruiting Manchin to join the GOP would be “the greatest Christmas gift I can think of.”

“I don’t know what he will decide to do,” Cornyn added. “But I do know West Virginia has gotten increasingly red.”

Manchin has faced criticism from Democrats and the White House over his announcement on “Fox News Sunday” that he would not be voting for Biden’s Build Back Better, the $1.6 trillion social and climate change bill at the center of the president’s domestic agenda. 

The bill requires the support of all Democratic senators to pass, but Manchin said he couldn’t back it due to concerns about inflation and the cost of the package. 

Manchin’s opposition to the bill places its future in serious doubt, though Biden told a Tuesday press conference that he would continue working with Manchin with the aim of passing some form of the bill. 

Republicans have been keen to exploit the chaos in Democratic ranks that Manchin’s opposition has caused, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell saying Tuesday Manchin was “certainly welcome” to join the GOP.

There have long been rumors about Manchin’s political loyalties, with his opposition to large government spending programs placing him at odds with many congressional Democrats. 

Manchin has in the past rejected rumors that he might leave the Senate’s Democratic caucus, most recently in October when Mother Jones reported that he had “exit plan” from the party. But sources close to Manchin told Axios on Monday that were he to do so, he would represent West Virginia as an independent rather than join the Republicans.