Watch | Obama visits mosque for first time during his presidency

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday made his first visit to a mosque during his presidency. He slammed the anti-Muslim rhetoric and said that bias against the faith is hurting American society. “We have seen children bullied, we have seen mosques vandalized,” said Obama in an address at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, Maryland. “That's not who we are.” Though Obama did not specifically name anyone who, in his words, resorted to “inexcusable” anti-Muslim rhetoric in the political sphere.

Before the speech, Obama met at the mosque with Muslim-American leaders from around the country.