Former Secretary of Defense, CIA Director and White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta called on President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Pelosi: Trump Supreme Court pick 'threatens' Affordable Care Act MORE to take lessons from past presidents and speak to the nation about the terrorist incidents involving 10 explosive devices that were sent to prominent Democrats and media outlets.

"The President ought to learn some lessons from those past presidents about the importance of the position of being the President of the United States at a time when this country is threatened with terrorist attacks." - Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta pic.twitter.com/5BIcBugf2X — The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) October 25, 2018

“I would prefer that the president of the United States take the time to seriously talk to the American people about the nature of this threat and the importance of finding out who is responsible, and to take some steps to lower the rhetoric that has been involved here because frankly none of that helps when we’re trying to deal with this kind of threat,” Panetta said on CNN’s “The Situation Room.”

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"I think the president ought to learn some lessons from those past presidents about the importance of the position of being president of the United States at a time when this country is threatened with terrorist attacks. This is a moment to speak to the American people seriously and soberly about the importance of protecting our security,” he added, citing President Clinton’s and President Bush’s response to the Oklahoma City bombing and 9/11, respectively.

Ten explosive devices were sent in recent days to Democratic donor George Soros, former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonThe Memo: Trump furor stokes fears of unrest Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida Hillicon Valley: Productivity, fatigue, cybersecurity emerge as top concerns amid pandemic | Facebook critics launch alternative oversight board | Google to temporarily bar election ads after polls close MORE, former President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Senate GOP set to vote on Trump's Supreme Court pick before election In a season of bad ideas, one stands out MORE, former Attorney General Eric Holder Eric Himpton HolderThe Hill's Campaign Report: Biden on Trump: 'He'll leave' l GOP laywers brush off Trump's election remarks l Obama's endorsements Obama endorses Warnock in crowded Georgia Senate race The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump's rally risk | Biden ramps up legal team | Biden hits Trump over climate policy MORE, former CIA Director John Brennan John Owen BrennanJournalism or partisanship? The media's mistakes of 2016 continue in 2020 Comey on Clinton tweet: 'I regret only being involved in the 2016 election' Ex-CIA Director Brennan questioned for 8 hours in Durham review of Russia probe MORE at the CNN offices in New York, Rep. Maxine Waters Maxine Moore WatersPowell, Mnuchin stress limits of current emergency lending programs Pelosi: House will stay in session until agreement is reached on coronavirus relief Omar invokes father's death from coronavirus in reaction to Woodward book MORE (D-Calif.), former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Joe Biden should enact critical government reforms if he wins MORE and actor Rober De Niro.

None of the explosives went off and no injuries were reported.

Panetta was quick to condemn the incidents as acts of terrorism.

“When you have 10 bombs that are distributed across this country, that constitutes a terrorist attack on our country, and we have to do everything necessary to make sure that we find out who is responsible and take steps to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

“I think the American people are smart enough to take this threat very seriously. I know that in today’s political volatility, there is a tendency to take every event and label it as some kind of political effort to undermine others. This is not the case here. We’ve got somebody who has sent bombs to individuals and could very well have killed innocent people as a result of that,” Panetta added.

The packages sparked a national conversation over the divisiveness of America’s current political rhetoric and a bipartisan call for both sides to ease tensions.

“What is not good is overheated rhetoric, extremism that pushes people to violence. And at the end of the day, we may have political difference, but this is one country, we’re all Americans, e pluribus unum, out of many one, and keeping the dialogue and debate civil is very, very important,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) said.

"I just want to tell you that in these times, we have to unify. We have to come together and send one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America,” Trump echoed at a White House event.