Sen. Joe Manchin, IW.V., delivered a farewell salute to the Democratic Party, calling his former party “toxic” as he prepares to step down from office at the end of the congressional term.

Manchin, a lifelong Democrat before registering as an independent earlier this year, criticized the Democratic Party in an interview with CNN’s “Inside Politics with Manu Raju” that aired Sunday.

“The D brand has been so maligned because it is just toxic,” Manchin said, adding that he left the party because he no longer considered himself a Democrat “in the form that the Democratic Party is becoming.” has.” .”

Manchin accused progressive lawmakers of diverting the party’s brand image away from issues like ensuring good jobs and good pay for Americans to instead focus more on sensitive social issues like transgender rights and what they are doing for Americans and what not to do.

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Manchin left the Democratic Party earlier this year and registered as an independent. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images, File)

“Basically they expanded the idea of, ‘Well, we want to protect you there, but we’re going to tell you how to live your life from now on,'” Manchin said of the Democratic Party.

He claimed that progressives in Washington, D.C. had lost touch with Americans and declared, “This country will not go left.”

Manchin has often been a key swing vote in the Senate. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images, File)

But Manchin didn’t just criticize Democrats, pointing the finger at Republican lawmakers who he said were “too extreme” and lacked common sense on the gun issue.

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“I’m not going to ban you from buying guns,” Manchin said of guns, “but you have to show a certain level of responsibility.”

“So the Democrats are going too far and want to impose a ban,” Manchin said. “The Republican says, ‘Oh, let the good times roll on. Let everyone have what they want.’ There are just a few sensible things about it.

Often a key voter, Manchin was known for his moderate approach and bipartisan work on national issues in the Senate.

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Manchin served in the Senate for 14 years. His political career began as a state delegate in the early 1980s before being elected as a state senator until the late 1990s. Manchin served as secretary of state for four years and was then elected governor of West Virginia in 2005.

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