Former Vice President Joe Biden appeared to link the horrific mass shooting in a synagogue and other recent violence to the Trump administration.
Biden appeared Tuesday at a campaign rally for Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and told those gathered that he was "sick and tired of this administration.”
“I’m sick and tired of what’s going on,” he continued. “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I hope you are, too."
Biden then proceeded to list recent acts of violence that have occurred in the past week such as the synagogue shooting and the mailing of explosive devices to prominent Democrats, including Biden.
"I am sick and tired of this administration," Former Vice President Joe Biden says while campaigning for Wisconsin Democrats. "I am sick and tired of what's going on. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired and I hope you are too" https://t.co/rmJpLclWks pic.twitter.com/iAd4rTWDWE
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 30, 2018
"Three times this past week the forces of hate have terrorized our fellow Americans for their political beliefs, the color of their skin or their religion," he said. “A series of explosive devices have been sent to a bunch of us - our kids our grandkids could’ve picked them up.”
He said that he had friends who are members of the Tree of Life synagogue where an anti-Semitic shooter perpetrated the terrible attack Saturday.
“The worst anti-Semitic attack in our nation’s history,” he said, “11 people massacred, two of my close friends belong to that synagogue. Eleven of them killed and another five wounded.”
“Folks, this is not who we are. We need to recognize that words matter. Words matter," Biden said, linking the incidents back to political rhetoric. "Our political opponents are not my enemy. The press is not the enemy of the people. Before we’re Democrats or Republicans or independents, we’re all Americans.”
Biden did later acknowledge that leaders on both sides need to tone down their rhetoric.
"I know sometimes it feels these days like anger, and hatred and viciousness is about to overwhelm us,” he said, “but it’s up to our leaders to change the tone, in both parties, to dial the temperature down, to restore some dignity to our national debate.”
He said that when he decided not to run for president in 2016 he knew that he was going to do everything in his power to elect “a Democratic House and the Senate to stem this tide."
Later in his speech Biden claimed that “the rest of the world is worried about us because when America loses its way they feel really threatened.”