Biden: 'So much for the shining city on a hill

Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday said that he is "embarrassed" by the tone of this year's presidential campaign, calling the race between President-elect Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton "more a battle of personalities than it was ideas."

Speaking at a forum in Washington, D.C., which was sponsored by the New York University School of Law, Biden acknowledged the "tough election" and the fact that Americans feel "more divided than we've ever been in our history." He added that the election "brought out the worst in the political system."

“I find myself embarrassed by the nature and the way in which this campaign was conducted. So much for the shining city on a hill," Biden said.

The vice president went on to call for the public financing of elections moving forward, saying the approach would change things "instantaneously," the Hill reported.

.@VP Joe Biden: "I find myself embarrassed by the nature and the way in which this campaign was conducted." https://t.co/xG6GDbtBFg

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 8, 2016