‘Not a Joke’: Biden Swears at Prayer Breakfast That He and McCarthy Had a ‘Good Meeting’ and Will Be ‘Treating Each Other With Respect’

President Joe Biden called for a return to respectful dialog and debate in Washington, DC in remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday morning.

Biden referenced what he called a “good meeting” in the Oval Office with Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday, during which they discussed the political fight over the debt ceiling, which has seen debate rage between the parties.

Nothing material emerged from the meeting, but McCarthy said markets should be encouraged by this step.

Biden ended his speech by citing a time in the Senate when pro-segregation Senator James O. Eastland and Senator Teddy Kennedy would “argue like hell on the floor, and then they go to the Senate dining room and go sit down and eat together.”

“I don’t know how we do that anymore, but we have to,” the president continued. “We have to start treating each other in waste of them have in my humble opinion. The greatest honor of my life is to serve this country. I know I don’t look, but I’ve done it for a few years.”

“Let’s just sort of kind of join hands again a little bit,” Biden wrapped up. “Let’s start treating each other with respect. That’s what Kevin and I are going to do. Not a joke. We had a good meeting yesterday. I think we’ve got to do it across the board. Doesn’t mean we’re going to agree, and we will fight like hell, but let’s treat each other with respect.”

Speaker McCarthy, when leaving the White House on Wednesday, likewise told reporters he and the president had a “good meeting,” and that they’ll continue to work toward an agreement. “I think at the end of the day we can find common ground, I really do,” he said.

Watch above via CSPAN.