President Biden, who has said he intends to run for re-election, appeared in Kentucky alongside the Senate’s top Republican as he tried to send a message that the White House sees room for bipartisanship.
COVINGTON, Ky. — President Biden on Wednesday embraced his reputation for compromise and cooperation at a moment of peak Republican chaos in the House, celebrating a vital new bridge alongside the Republican senator who has long vowed to block his agenda.
Standing in front of the Ohio River, the president joined Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican minority leader, and an improbable mix of political rivals to highlight new funding for the Brent Spence Bridge, which connects Covington to Cincinnati. The rare joint appearance was an effort by Mr. Biden, who has said he intends to run for a second term, to focus voter attention on moments of bipartisan accord during his first two years in office.
“We disagree on a lot of things,” Mr. Biden said of Mr. McConnell, who remains a political villain in the eyes of many of the president’s supporters. “But here’s what matters: He’s a man of his word. When he gives you his word, you can take it to the bank, you can count on it, and he’s willing to find common ground.”
The appearance by both men offered a remarkable split-screen moment in American politics.
In Washington, the House leadership debacle continued into a second day on Wednesday. Representative Kevin McCarthy of California has repeatedly failed to win election as speaker thanks to a small group of 20 conservative hard-liners who accuse him of being insufficiently aggressive in opposition to Mr. Biden’s presidency and the Democrats’ agenda. The House remained in a leaderless limbo after Mr. McCarthy lost three consecutive voteson Tuesday for the top job — the first time that has happened in a century — and three more on Wednesday.
For Mr. Biden, the contrast was a perfect way to hammer home what he has long presented as his value and expertise: a willingness to embrace bipartisanship, even if that means working with politicians like Mr. McConnell, whose values and priorities often diverge from the president’s.
And for both men, bipartisanship can be good politics as they seek to distance themselves from the Washington gridlock that has turned off many voters.
They rode to Wednesday’s event in the Beast, Mr. Biden’s armored car, a perk almost always reserved for the president’s allies.
But neither Mr. Biden nor Mr. McConnell is likely to walk away from his self-interests, which are certain to provoke political disagreements over the next two years.
Mr. Biden has at times set aside his reputation for bipartisanship, pushing through trillions of dollars in federal spending without any Republican votes. And Mr. McConnell has been a fierce partisan warrior for decades, blocking Democratic picks for the Supreme Court and frustrating efforts by Mr. Biden to make progress on free preschool, family leave, immigration and other Democratic priorities.