West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin wants his constituents to know he’s in touch with his state — that’s why he used a stock photo of a Dutch coal miner to attack Donald Trump.
The senator, who is up for re-election in 2018 and has sought to get cozy with the president to improve his chances, tweeted today, “In just 6 days 22,600 retired miners & widows will lose healthcare benefits,” and urged readers to contact his colleagues.
The Senate Leadership Fund points out the image used in Manchin’s tweet is a stock photo of a “fake miner” taken by “a Dutch photographer 4,038 miles away from West Virginia.”
The SLF points readers to this image:
“Close up portrait of a bearded senior male miner in denim jacket and helmet with dirty face,” the Shutterstock caption reads, “looking at the camera seriously inside a fuzzy studio.”
Manchin-aligned Jobs With Justice blamed Trump, saying he’s “remained silent” when it comes to supporting miners and their health.
Trump promised to help coal miners, but when it comes to their health care, Trump’s remained silent. https://t.co/goeNZJNh50 #KeepThePromise
— Jobs With Justice (@jwjnational) April 21, 2017
It’s not clear why Manchin didn’t get a photo of a West Virginia miner, except, “this is the same Manchin who could only find 5 West Virginians to support his campaign so far this year,” the group says.
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