In a revealing moment on Fox News, longtime host John Roberts dropped any pretense during an interview with former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, openly admitting he is not a Republican and hasn’t been one “for as long as he can remember.” The exchange laid bare the deep frustrations with Washington’s toxic tribalism—just as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday.
Manchin, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent, steered the conversation toward the urgent need for national unity. “We’re getting too divided,” he warned. “It’s about the country, not about me, not about the Democrats and Republicans, not about President Trump or anybody else. It’s about this country and the freedom and liberty this country has given us.”
Roberts, often viewed by conservatives as one of the network’s more squishy RINOs, readily agreed, lamenting a divide “as tall as the Rocky Mountains and only getting bigger.” But Manchin went further, cutting to the heart of the political racket in Washington. He described both parties as operating a “duopoly” business model of “divide and conquer,” turning Americans against each other by painting the other side as enemies. “It’s not that way in downtown America,” he insisted. “People want us to come together.”
Manchin even encouraged Roberts to “set yourself free” and join the swelling ranks of independents—now roughly 50% of the country. Roberts didn’t hesitate, confirming his long-held independent status and calling Washington a “zero-sum game” for decades.
The pair also turned their sights on the radicalization of the Democratic Party. Manchin noted how extremists on both ends—MAGA Republicans and the socialist left—have exploited a closed primary system. Yet Roberts zeroed in on the left’s growing anti-American streak with palpable disgust. He highlighted far-left Democratic candidates who seem intent on tearing down the very nation that offers them opportunity.
Pointing to one disturbing example, Roberts referenced Darializa Chevalier, a Democrat who complained her hands were “dirty” and proceeded to wipe them on the American flag behind her. “I mean, who are these people?” Roberts asked, echoing the bewilderment of millions of patriots.
This comes on the heels of other radical candidates, like democratic socialist Melat Kiros, who have excused 9/11 terrorism as blowback from U.S. foreign policy and pushed to abolish ICE while demanding amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants. These voices aren’t fringe anymore—they’re winning primaries in deep-blue districts, dragging the Democratic Party further into identity politics, open borders, and reflexive America-bashing.
As the country approaches its 250th anniversary, Manchin’s call for unity around freedom and liberty resonates with everyday Americans who love this nation. Yet the professional political class and their media allies thrive on manufactured division. Real Americans—in small towns, suburbs, and city neighborhoods—aren’t consumed by partisan hate. They want secure borders, economic opportunity, safe streets, and a government that doesn’t apologize for America’s greatness.
Roberts’ candid admission may surprise some viewers, but it confirms what many conservatives have long suspected: too much of the so-called “mainstream” media remains trapped in the Beltway bubble, more comfortable with independents than with the Republican voters who demand accountability. As socialist radicals march through the Democratic Party, patriots must rally around the timeless principles that built the greatest country on Earth. Unity cannot mean surrendering to anti-American extremism. It must mean recommitting to the exceptionalism that has defined us for 250 years.
