"The press is not the enemy of the people. Immigrants are not animals," said the former vice president.
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Speaking only hours after he was identified as an intended target of one of 10 pipe bomb packages sent to critics of President Donald Trump this week, former Vice President Joe Biden suggested — or at least hoped — that the episode could inspire a national healing.
"Folks, we don't have all the facts yet," Biden said Thursday night at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
"My hope is this recent spate of who knows what they were, pipe bombs being mailed, might wake everybody in my business up a little bit and we will begin to put this nation back together again.
"All of those who were on the receiving end of the packages, including Biden's ex-boss, former President Barack Obama, actor Robert De Niro and billionaire George Soros, have expressed criticism of President Trump.
None of the bombs detonated, and no one was injured.
"A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News," Trump tweeted Thursday.
"It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!"
Biden responded Thursday evening: "The press is not the enemy of the people. Immigrants are not animals. My hope and prayer is that all of our leaders will work to lower the temperature in our public dialogue, and I have faith that they will do that."