McConnell says he thinks Manchin 'would be more comfortable' in GOP

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellCollins open to negotiating overhaul of child tax credit set to expire Republican senator texted Joe Manchin about joining GOP Bette Midler says Manchin wants US to be like West Virginia: 'Poor, illiterate and strung out' MORE (R-Ky.) said in a new interview that Republicans would "love" to have Sen. Joe Manchin Joe ManchinBiden administration advances two large-scale solar projects in California Nuclear power has no business case and could make climate change worse On The Money — Biden's plea: Don't count out Build Back Better MORE (D-W. Va.) join their ranks, adding that he thinks Manchin would "be more comfortable" in the GOP.

“Obviously we would love to have him on our team,” McConnell told The New York Times. “I think he’d be more comfortable.”

The remarks come after Manchin announced on Sunday he would oppose President Biden Joe BidenCollins open to negotiating overhaul of child tax credit set to expire Sounding the alarm on the administration's recent action on abortion pills Overnight Health Care — Biden lays out omicron playbook MORE's signature Build Back Better spending package.

"I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can't. I tried everything humanly possible. I can't get there," Manchin said on "Fox News Sunday." "This is a 'no' on this legislation."

Following the senator's decision, the Biden administration issued a blistering statement accusing him of "a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues."

“Why in the world would they want to call him a liar and try to hotbox him and embarrass him?” McConnell asked during the interview, referring to the response Manchin received from White House and Democrats.

“I think the message is, ‘We don’t want you around.’ Obviously that is up to Joe Manchin, but he is clearly not welcome on that side of the aisle,” he told the newspaper.

The Kentucky Republican is just one seat away from being Senate majority leader.

But Manchin, whom McConnell says he has attempted to welcome in his party for years, leans closer to the GOP on issues like guns and abortions but has more wide-reaching views on government's part in social and economic issues than Republicans, the Times noted.

Sen. John Cornyn John CornynRepublican senator texted Joe Manchin about joining GOP Biden's Build Back Better bill suddenly in serious danger Biden's renewable energy rush is making gas prices skyrocket MORE (R-Texas) also said he contacted Manchin about switching sides of the aisle following his decision on the spending plan.

"Joe if they don’t want you we do," Cornyn said in a text to Manchin, according to a local Texas news station.

“I don’t know what he will decide to do. But I do know West Virginia has gotten increasingly red. ... So, yeah, we’d love to have him. That would change the majority," Cornyn added.