Joe Manchin calls Democratic Party 'toxic,' blames progressives

Manchin, who was a lifelong Democrat before registering as an Independent earlier this year, blasted the Democratic Party in an interview with CNN's "Inside Politics with Manu Raju" that aired on Sunday.

Manchin blamed progressive lawmakers for shifting the party's brand away from issues such as ensuring good jobs and good pay for Americans to instead focus more on sensitive social issues like transgender rights and telling Americans what they can or cannot do.

"They have basically expanded upon thinking, 'Well, we want to protect you there, but we're going to tell you how you should live your life from that far on,'" Manchin said of the Democratic Party.

But Manchin did not only criticize Democrats, pointing the finger at Republican lawmakers who he claimed are "too extreme" and lack common sense on the issue of guns.

"I'm not going to ban you from buying it," Manchin said of guns, "but you're going to have to show some responsibility."

"So the Democrats go too far, want to ban," Manchin said. "The Republican says, 'Oh, let the good times roll. Let anybody have anything they want.' Just some commonsense things there."

Fox News Digital's Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.