West Wing star Bradley Whitford calls Trump a 'rodeo clown' with 'lack of shame and moral bankruptcy'

Members of the cast of the former political television show "The West Wing" have been campaigning across Ohio this week for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, but actor Bradley Whitford appeared on "Hardball" with Chris Matthews to talk about why Republican Donald Trump scares him about America's future.

"Well, I got to say, I always used to joke that the fakest thing aside from my teeth about 'The West Wing' was we had rational Republicans and one of the things that really upsets me is an election is not a personality contest," Whitford explained. "It is an opportunity for us to have an important discussion about how to face these tremendously urgent issues, and this rodeo clown has sucked all the oxygen out of the room."

Whitford went on to say that watching Trump is absolutely "fantastic television," but that's not exactly what Americans should seek in a president. "He is fantastic television in the same way watching a car wreck is fascinating television," he said. "He's hypnotic because of his utter lack of shame and his moral bankruptcy. It's a hypnotic thing to watch."

He went on to say that he finds Trump's statements about women and people with disabilities abhorrent.

"Here we are talking about a candidate who is fat shaming people, a candidate who mocks people with disabilities. If I got a call from my son's school and heard that he was mocking someone's disabilities, that he was making fun of flat-chested girls, fat shaming girls, I would disown him! And yet at a time when we should be discussing, and I really want kids to understand how important this election is."

Watch the full interview below: