Biden tells appointees 'I will fire you on the spot' for showing disrespect to colleagues

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President Joe Biden issued a warning Wednesday to his appointees that a hostile workplace will not be allowed in his administration.

Video Transcript

JOE BIDEN: But I'm not joking when I say this. If you're ever working with me, and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot. On the spot. No ifs, ands, or buts. Everybody, everybody is entitled to be treated with decency and dignity. That's been missing in a big way in the last four years. Cathy's gone through all your backgrounds, talked to me about you. I'm confident you have the capacity to do it.

We're going to be judged. We're going to be judged, whether or not we restored the integrity and the competency of this government. I need your help badly. Last thing I'll say, I'm going to make mistakes. I'm going to make mistakes. When I make them, I'll acknowledge them and I'll tell you. And I'll need your help to help me correct them.

We're not going to walk away. We're going to take responsibility. That's what we do. That's what you do. That's what so many of you have done throughout your career and I expect you to do it again. So I'm happy, happy we're starting, happy to join all of you, there's almost a thousand of you on this call, and your families. So thank you, thank you, thank you very much.