But there’s only so much the president can do in corralling his party’s caucuses on the Hill, experts say, noting that Manchin hails from a state that voted heavily for Trump. And some things – like gas prices and new COVID-19 variants – are largely out of his hands. “People want instant answers, and they want instant cures for their problems,” says Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. “It’s not (always) his fault … but of course, he gets blamed for all of that.”
