Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia spoke out against the increasing antagonism within American politics, criticizing both parties for the trend of demonizing each other, as The Hill reported.

Manchin believes that this level of partisan warfare is not what the country's founders envisioned.

According to Manchin, the political landscape has devolved into a situation where being a member of one party means you must revile the other.

Extreme Views on Both Sides

During an interview on WABC-AM's The Cats Roundtable, the lawmaker explained, "If you're a Democrat, they expect you to villainize every Republican. And if you're a Republican, you should villainize the Democrats."

The senator insisted that America was built on the principle of working together and expressed concern about how this fundamental concept is being undermined.

In an opinion piece published in USA Today last month, Manchin stated that extremist Democrats and Republicans threaten America's future.

He wrote, "The extremes on the left and right now control the Democratic and Republican Parties, defining our politics and policy debates."

Manchin added, "These partisan extremes are in the business of feeding political division and dysfunction everyday -– and their business is booming."

The No Labels Movement and Potential Third-Party Bid

Manchin praised the bipartisan group No Labels, an organization promoting a potential "unity ticket" for the upcoming 2024 presidential race.

The organization aims to offer voters additional options and break the prevailing gridlock in Washington.

Though Manchin has not yet confirmed a third-party White House bid of his own, he has increasingly aligned himself with No Labels.

This became evident last month when he appeared at a No Labels event with former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Republican.

Former Senator Lieberman's Thoughts on the Current Political Climate

Former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the founding chairman of No Labels, has also expressed his disappointment with the current political atmosphere.

He stated that there is currently "too much hatred" in Washington.

Lieberman pointed out that while there have always been differences of opinion, the present-day dialogue has devolved into treating those with differing views as members of an enemy nation.

He also indicated that his organization, though not typically involved in presidential elections, sees a bipartisan president's importance in overcoming the existing partisanship and gridlock.

He hopes that No Labels can inspire both parties to move toward the center and begin working together for the nation's greater good without compromising their core beliefs.