Kerry takes on Trump, says 'anti-Muslim rhetoric' in polls an embarrassment

Hitting out at the current election season's anti-Muslim rhetoric, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that the prevalent expression this polling season was an "embarrassment" to the United States.

Quoting Kerry from an interview to CBS News "Face the Nation" show, the Dawn reported Kerry saying that such statements had baffled every overseas leader he met this season.

"Everywhere I go, every leader I meet, they ask about what is happening in America. They cannot believe it. I think it is fair to say that they're shocked. They don't know where it's taking the United States of America." He said.

When asked if world leaders were viewing the rhetoric as part of the election circus Kerry said: "It upsets people's sense of equilibrium about our steadiness, about our reliability."

"And to some degree, I must say to you, some of the questions, the way they're posed to me, it's clear to me that what's happening is an embarrassment to our country." He added.

Earlier, following the deadly attacks in Brussels, United States President Barack Obama urged Americans not to stigmatise the Muslim community while stating that doing so is counterproductive in the fight against radical Islam.

Obama's remarks came following the controversial remarks made by two Republicans, who are vying to succeed him in the White House.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz Cruz called for increased surveillance of Muslim neighbourhoods while Donald Trump reiterated that Muslims should be temporarily prevented from entering the US.