From USA Today’s exclusive* interview with Senator Joe Manchin:

WASHINGTON – When Sen. Joe Manchin learned a throng of pro-Trump protestors was threatening to disrupt Congress' count of the Electoral College votes in the Capitol on Jan. 6, the 73-year-old, 6-foot-3 former football standout said he was not ready to back down.

"My intention was to stay and fight: 'Let ‘em in. Let’s go at it.’ But I didn’t know what was going on," the West Virginia Democrat told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview. "You had a lot of people chanting. I didn’t think anything of that. But within 10 or 15 minutes, a SWAT team comes in with all of their gear and says ‘You guys are out of here. Just go now. Don’t even stop."

”Exclusive”? C'mon USA Today, Senator Joe will talk to anybody who promises to put his words on their front page or at the top of their newscast.

Music to accompany your reading of this post:

Update -- nice of you, Senator, to pose with National Guardsmen for a photo-op two weeks later

The original picture that USA Today used to accompany the article on its website does not include a caption that explains the photo, when it was taken, or its source. (Readers need to click on "show caption" to get that information.) With no obvious explanation, some readers may assume it was taken the day of the insurrection, January 6. It wasn't -- it was taken on January 22. However, today's Microsoft News, which referenced the USA Today article on its news page, included the Getty Image picture credit and an explanation of the picture:

© Sarah Silbiger / Getty Images Sen. Joe Manchin gives National Guard members a tour of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 22, 2021 in Washington, DC.