Biden urges Dems and GOP to treat each other with respect

President Joe Biden called on Republicans and Speaker Kevin McCarthy to “treat one another with respect” — as the GOP prepares to investigate him and son Hunter.

He sat next to McCarthy at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday after the White House showdown over the debt ceiling and said, “Let’s just kind of, kinda, just shake hands a little bit.

“Let’s start by treating each other with respect. That’s what Kevin and I will do. No joke.

“We had a good meeting yesterday. I think we need to do it across the board. That doesn’t mean we agree – fight like hell. But let’s treat each other with respect.”

Republicans plan to launch their investigation into the influence of the Biden family and Hunter Biden’s foreign dealings after his State of the Union address next week.

Biden appealing to GOP sentiments also came hours after Hunter sent letters to prosecutors urging investigators to target critics who had shared his laptop with the media.

President Joe Biden (left) offers an olive branch to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (next to Biden) at the National Prayer Breakfast in the Capitol Building

Biden’s call also came as both houses of Congress escalated partisan fighting.

Later in the day, House Republicans will hold a vote to eject Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a practicing Muslim, from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for her earlier statements critical of Israel.

The vote comes in retaliation after Democrats booted far-right GOP lawmakers from committees last year for their inflammatory, violent comments.

Biden didn’t respond to DailyMail.com when asked about his call for respect amid the investigation his son faces and the Omar vote.

But in his remarks over breakfast, he acknowledged that tensions ran high.

“Love your neighbor as yourself. That is the hardest thing. I find. At least that’s where it’s the hardest,” Biden said. ‘Wasn’t difficult before.’

“I’ve been here for a long time, but it seems to be getting harder. It’s easy to say. It’s hard,’ he added.

“My prayer for this prayer breakfast is that you will start seeing each other again, looking at each other, traveling together again. Fighting wildly again, but then going out for lunch anyway.’

Biden, who served as a Delaware state senator for 36 years, joked about his long service to the country.

“I know I don’t look like it – but I’ve been doing this for a few years,” he said, to much laughter.

President Joe Biden urged Democrats and Republicans to treat each other with respect

Former Republican nominee for Arizona Governor Kari Lake arrives with Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) for the National Prayer Breakfast

Even as lawmakers convened at the Capitol complex Thursday morning, they were preparing to take up battle stations both today and in the days to come.

Alongside the vote on Omar’s impeachment, House Republicans are preparing to go after the president’s son.

The House Oversight Committee has scheduled a Feb. 8 hearing into Hunter Biden’s laptop and Twitter’s attempt to quash a New York Post story about it.

The hearing comes the day after President Biden delivers his State of the Union address, in which he will set out his vision for the country for the next year. He is expected to issue a call for bipartisanship.

Republicans will hold a hearing on Hunter Biden’s laptop next week

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris arrive at the National Prayer Breakfast

Hunter’s legal team has gone on the offensive, sending letters to state and federal attorneys calling for criminal investigations into those who accessed and disseminated his personal information.

They also sent a separate letter threatening Fox News host Tucker Carlson with a defamation lawsuit, the Washington Post reported.