Biden Reminisces on 'True' Bipartisanship When He Could Have Lunch With 'Real Segregationists'

On Friday, United States President Joe Biden addressed economic concerns during a speech at the United Performance Metals workshop in Butler County, Hamilton, Ohio.

In the speech, President Biden praised bipartisanship, saying he is upset with the fact that the current political climate does not allow him to have a dialogue with representatives of different political forces like in “the old days,” when he could have lunch with “real segregationists” in the Senate.

“We always used to fight like hell, and even back in the old days when we had real segregationists like Eastland, and Thurman, all those guys. But at least we ended up eating lunch together. Things have changed, we gotta bring it back,” he said.

Biden brought the now-retired Republican Senator Rob Portman, who was ready to cooperate with the bipartisan Infrastructure bill, to the event. The president expressed regret over Portman’s retirement, describing him as “one of the good guys.” Both of Ohio's Senators, a Democrat and a Republican, joined Biden on stage during the speech.

After touting bipartisanship, he criticized just some days ago supporters of former President Donald Trump, saying “this MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that’s existed in American history. Recent American history.”

Biden's speech focused on the economy and how his administration will bring manufacturing jobs back to America. He claimed, "We're going to bury the label Rust Belt." The Rust Belt is a geographic region in the United States that was home to major manufacturing centers from New York into the Great Lakes region.