Dick Van Dyke says he received a welcome fit for a comedy king during his visit with President Biden in the Oval Office, with the commander in chief getting down on one knee to show his gratitude to the actor.
The 95-year-old television legend recounted meeting with Biden at the White House on Thursday during a reception for the Kennedy Center Honors recipients.
Van Dyke is one of five honorees — alongside Garth Brooks, Debbie Allen, Joan Baez and Midori — to receive the prestigious award in a ceremony being broadcast on June 6 on CBS.
“I walked into the Oval Office and the president… got down on one knee,” Van Dyke exclaimed to reporters at an Honors press event. “Now I expect that from everyone!” he quipped.
Van Dyke had endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the 2020 presidential election, urging older voters to back the lawmaker and appearing at a rally for the then-White House hopeful last year.
Protest songwriter and activist Baez also revealed Friday that she belted out “(Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody) Turn Me Around,” inside the Oval Office.
Breaking out into the song again for reporters, Baez recited the lyrics, “Ain’t going to let nobody turn me around, keep on walkin’, keep on talkin’, keep on singin’, keep on swingin’, gonna build a brand new world.”
Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, canceled the traditional White House visits among Kennedy Center honorees after a number of the recipients of the 2017 awards, including Norman Lear, said that they would not attend such a ceremony out of protest.
Trump also declined to attend the ceremony itself, as has been a tradition.