President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaMichelle Obama and Jennifer Lopez exchange Ginsburg memories Pence defends Trump's 'obligation' to nominate new Supreme Court justice The militia menace MORE placed a call to John Boehner John Andrew BoehnerLongtime House parliamentarian to step down Five things we learned from this year's primaries Bad blood between Pelosi, Meadows complicates coronavirus talks MORE on his penultimate day as Speaker, telling the Ohio Republican he was sorry to see him go.

“He said, ‘Boehner John Andrew BoehnerLongtime House parliamentarian to step down Five things we learned from this year's primaries Bad blood between Pelosi, Meadows complicates coronavirus talks MORE, man, I’m gonna miss you,' ” Boehner recalled in an interview broadcast Friday on Fox News.

“Yes you are Mr. President. Yes you are,” Boehner replied.

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After nearly five years leading the House as Speaker, the Ohio Republican handed over the reins Thursday to Rep. Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.), who at 45 is two decades younger than Boehner.

While Boehner and Obama were never personally close, the former Speaker told Fox News he had a “good relationship” with the president.

“We had disagreements over all kinds of issues but we have a good relationship,” Boehner said, “because I think it’s essential that the leaders be able to work with each other, have a relationship, have some trust so we can do the nation’s business.”

Boehner has said he wishes he could have fixed the broken immigration system. But the biggest regret of his Speakership was the collapse of the trillion-dollar “grand bargain” deficit reduction deal with Obama — something for which he still blames the president.

“We had an agreement. I’m sitting in the Oval Office, Eric Cantor Eric Ivan CantorThe Hill's Campaign Report: Florida hangs in the balance Eric Cantor teams up with former rival Dave Brat in supporting GOP candidate in former district Bottom line MORE and I, and the president of the United States. The deal was done.” Boehner said.

“I was shocked that the president walked away from the agreement and caused the country to have a real struggle. ... The country went through a lot more than it needed to.”

Boehner planned to fly home to Ohio on Friday. He’s sent separate letters to Ryan and Ohio Gov. John Kasich informing them his resignation from Congress is effective at 11:59 p.m. Saturday.

A day after he hosted Pope Francis at the Capitol, Boehner, a former altar boy from Reading, Ohio, shocked Washington by announcing he was leaving office in the middle of his third term as Speaker.

“I don’t have any doubt that God put me in this job, and I don’t have any doubt that God eased me right out of this job,” he told Fox News. “It was pretty smooth.

“Good job big guy,” Boehner added, looking up.