US President Barack Obama late Tuesday said he is deeply disturbed by the "vulgar and divisive rhetoric" directed at women and minorities, as well as the violence in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Without mentioning the Republican candidate by name, Obama used a unity luncheon meeting at the Capitol to express his concern with the political discourse and the protests that have escalated to attacks at the Trump rallies. The candidate has spoken of barring Muslims from entering the country and deporting immigrants living here illegally.

"We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities, and Americans that don't look like us or pray like us or vote like we do," Obama said.

"We live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold. In response to those events we've seen actual violence, and we've heard silence from too many of our leaders," Obama said, adding that he rejects "any effort to spread fear or encourage violence or shut people down while they are trying to speak." He explained that while some may bear more of the blame for the climate, everyone bears responsibility for reversing it.

"It is a cycle that is not an accurate reflection of America. It has to stop," Obama said. "And I say that not as a matter of political correctness, it's about the way that corrosive behavior can undermine our democracy, and our society."

Source : Petra