"We have an extra chair for him at lunch. It's sitting there waiting for him," Paul, a Kentucky Republican, told Fox News's Martha MacCallum on Wednesday. "We are ready to see him. We're a big party, and I think he'd have a place."
Manchin, who hails from West Virginia, rejected speculation that he intends to leave the Democratic Party as "bulls***" after a Mother Jones report on Wednesday asserted he was entertaining the idea.
"He's a pro-energy senator from an adjacent state to mine, pro-coal, pro-fossil fuels," Paul announced. "He's unacceptable in the Democratic caucus. They seem to hate everything that his state produces. We'd welcome him on our side. I can't have any predictions that it would actually ever happen. But I promise you, he's got a seat at the table and a big important voice in our caucus if he chooses to come over."
WATCH: RFK JR. TALKS ABOUT ELON RELEASING TWITTER FILES REVEALING COLLUSION
Along with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Manchin has stood in the way of President Joe Biden's infrastructure plan, claiming that the initial $3.5 trillion price tag was too expensive.
WATCH: BILL MAHER GUEST: MAGA IS "ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM"
The Senate is equally split between 50 Republicans and 48 Democrats who have two independents caucusing with them. Vice President Kamala Harris is the 50-50 tiebreaker.
Meanwhile, Mother Jones' Washington D.C. bureau chief David Corn ignited a political firestorm on Wednesday with a report that Manchin had told associates that he was thinking about leaving the party if President Biden and Democrats on Capitol Hill couldn't satisfy his demands in significantly reducing the $3.5 trillion spending bill to a $1.75 trillion price tag. And that, "according to people who have heard Manchin discuss this," he would develop an exit strategy and declare himself an "American Independent."
POLITICAL CORRUPTION TRIAL TAKES BIZARRE TURN: MENENDEZ ENLISTS EXPERT LINKED TO CHILD MURDER CASE
Appearing on MSNBC, Corn stayed confident in his reporting, notwithstanding Manchin's obvious denial.
THE DISTURBING SECRETS OF 'GOD'S MISFITS' UNCOVERED IN OKLAHOMA DOUBLE HOMICIDE CASE
"Today, he called the report BS. I can tell you that the sourcing is impeccable, and he knows it! He knows what we know!" Corn told MSNBC host Joy Reid.
CALIFORNIA'S NEW 'GENEALOGY OFFICE' TO HAND OUT CHECKS BASED ON DNA RESULTS
Since his reporting exposed Manchin's alleged plans, the Mother Jones journalist suggested that his exit from the Democratic Party is now "off the table."
POLITICAL GENIUS OR DESPERATE MOVE? EX-REP. SANTOS REVEALS MASTER PLAN
"He has now said it's B-U-L-L. It's actually T-R-U-E," Corn said. "He himself has taken it off the table because if he's gonna do it now, then he would actually show that what he's saying it's bull that he was lying then. So he has been outed."
Discover alternative ideas that will make you think
Engage in mind bending debate
Earn points, rise in rank, have fun
