In a rare display of bipartisanship, Senator Joe Manchin blasted President Joe Biden for his handling of the crisis on the southern border and commended the efforts of Republican lawmakers to address the issue.

Manchin, who is known for his moderate stance and willingness to work across the aisle, said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that Biden’s policies have created “a disaster at the border” and that he supports the bill introduced by Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) to extend Title 42, a Trump-era policy that allows border agents to expel certain migrants without due process.

“We are one day from the end of Title 42 and still the Biden Administration has no viable solution to prevent an unmanageable surge of migrants at our southern border,” Manchin said. “There are multiple common sense solutions to this crisis, including my bipartisan bill that would give the Administration a two-year temporary expulsion authority for migrants attempting to illegally enter the U.S. without inspection or proper documentation.”

“While I do not support every provision, Republicans in the House of Representatives are at least working on a border security bill to fill the leadership vacuum created by this Administration,” he continued. “Our country cannot maintain our superpower status if we cannot control our own border.”

Manchin’s comments come as Biden faces mounting pressure from both sides of the political spectrum over his response to the border crisis, which has seen record numbers of migrants attempting to cross into the U.S. in recent months.

Manchin’s criticism of Biden is not new. The West Virginia senator has been a vocal opponent of many aspects of Biden’s agenda, including his $2 trillion Build Back Better plan, which Manchin effectively killed last week by announcing he would not vote for it.

His stance has earned him the ire of many progressive Democrats, who have accused him of betraying his party and siding with corporate interests over the needs of ordinary Americans.

However, Manchin has also shown some signs of cooperation with Biden on other issues, such as voting rights and infrastructure. He has also defended Biden from personal attacks by some Republicans, such as Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who recently called Biden “a senile old man.”

Manchin said he respects Biden as a person and a leader, but does not agree with him on everything. “I like Joe Biden. I think he’s a good man. I think he’s a good president. I just don’t agree with some of his policies.”

NEW: Stunning footage from our drone team shows an enormous amount of clothing & trash dumped by migrants at the edge of the river after they cross illegally into Brownsville in this spot. Mixed in, you will find IDs/paperwork from around the world, & Mexican humanitarian visas. pic.twitter.com/UnEwPK62Ni

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 11, 2023