U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), one of two Democratic lawmakers dramatically endangering President Joe Biden’s historic plan to strengthen the social safety net, is denying a report from the well-respected progressive news outlet Mother Jones that he is considering leaving the Democratic Party, and has a plan to do so.

“It’s bullshit,” says the West Virginia Democrat who is demanding Biden’s Build Back Better plan come in at $1.75 trillion. (The original price tag was $7 trillion.)

CNN’s Manu Raju got the scoop:

Manchin denies story he’s considering leaving Democratic Party: “It’s bullshit,” he told me. He added: “I have no control of rumors.”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 20, 2021

Mother Jones’ David Corn reported Wednesday Manchin “has told associates that he is considering leaving the Democratic Party if President Joe Biden and Democrats on Capitol Hill do not agree to his demand to cut the size of the social infrastructure bill from $3.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion, according to people who have heard Manchin discuss this. Manchin has said that if this were to happen, he would declare himself an ‘American Independent.’ And he has devised a detailed exit strategy for his departure.”

That plan involves resigning from Senate Democratic leadership, then, depending on the response from Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, leaving the party altogether.

“Through it all,” Corn adds, Manchin “has insisted that $1.75 trillion is his top and final offer, and he has constantly said no to proposed programs that almost every other congressional Democrat supports. He has told his fellow Democrats that if they don’t accept his position, they risk getting nothing.”

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, the far right outspoken conspiracy theory promoter who recently offered to quit his job to defend then-President Donald Trump during his Senate impeachment trial, is reportedly once again thinking of leaving elected office.

“Gaetz has told some of his allies he’s interested in becoming a media personality, and floated taking a role at Newsmax,” Axios reports, noting the Florida Republican “has privately told confidants he’s seriously considering not seeking re-election and possibly leaving Congress early for a job at Newsmax,”

The far right media outlet is owned by Trump pal and defender Christopher Ruddy.

An Axios source “said Gaetz has had early conversations with the network about what a position could look like.”

Recently: Matt Gaetz Blasted After Standing Up for Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group While Promoting ‘Fascist Sympathizer’

For the second time in his political career, South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham is playing a starring role in the impeachment of a United States president. This time, it may end his time in elected office.

MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes on Friday examined Graham’s transformation from being one of President Bill Clinton’s biggest critics as a member of the House of Representatives to becoming one of President Donald Trump’s most passionate defenders in the U.S. Senate.

“I could probably spend an entire hour just documenting the hilarious hypocrisy of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on the impeachment trial process. He was famously a House manager during the Clinton impeachment, and he’s done basically a 180 on literally everything he said then on what constitutes an impeachment offense.”

Hayes noted a recent poll had shown Graham’s favorability rating to only be at 38%.

Hayes interviewed Jaime Harrison, a South Carolina Democrat challenging Graham in the 2020 election.

“In my house, we were taught you have to have strong values and integrity and that you kept your promises and you stood by your oath,” Harrison said. “But right now what we’re seeing with Lindsey Graham is that his word is like mud.”

“This guy is not someone we can take seriously. There should be a big flashing sign above Lindsey Graham’s head that says ‘voters beware.’ This guy doesn’t keep his promises,” Harrison said.

Watch: