Philadelphia (CNN)Former Vice President Joe Biden lamented the “demeaning” nature of today’s politics while presenting an award to President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush in Philadelphia on Sunday.
“As President Bush was my opposition as the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, he was never my enemy,” Biden said. “Think how demeaning our politics has become in terms of how we talk about one another. There’s the opposition, not the enemies.”
The event at the National Constitution Center marked Biden’s first public appearance since the midterm elections. In his role as chair of the center’s board, Biden presented the Liberty Medal, which recognizes leadership in the pursuit of freedom, to Bush and former first lady to honor their work with veterans.
“In a week following another contentious political season, the presentation of the Liberty Medal is a critical reminder that neither Republicans nor Democrats hold a monopoly on the values and the ideals that define us as a nation,” Biden said.
Biden, a frequent Trump critic, is considered a likely Democratic candidate for president in 2020, which could mean he would face off against Trump. Trump has not hesitated to strike back, dubbing the former vice president ‘Crazy Joe Biden” and calling him “weak, both mentally…
