Hillary Clinton said the first task is making sure Brexit "does not hurt working families here in America." | Getty Clinton campaign blasts Trump's 'reckless, egomaniac' Brexit response

Declaring the aftermath of Brexit a "time of uncertainty," Hillary Clinton on Friday said the United Kingdom's decision to exit the European Union raises the stakes for the November election against Donald Trump as her campaign's top advisers laced into the Republican as unfit to handle the weight of the moment.

"This time of uncertainty only underscores the need for calm, steady, experienced leadership in the White House to protect Americans' pocketbooks and livelihoods, to support our friends and allies, to stand up to our adversaries, and to defend our interests," the presumptive Democratic nominee said in a statement. "It also underscores the need for us to pull together to solve our challenges as a country, not tear each other down."


Clinton foreign policy adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in a conference call that the presumptive Republican nominee "proves again and again that he is temperamentally unfit for the job." On the same day, Trump devoted a significant portion of a news conference in Scotland to discussing his renovated Turnberry golf course."The American people need a steady hand at times of uncertainty, not a reckless egomaniac," Sullivan said.

"Donald Trump actively rooted for this outcome and the economic turmoil in its wake," Sullivan said of the Brexit vote, adding that from Clinton's perspective, it really matters who's actually sitting in the Oval Office."

"We have the wherewithal to help American families to weather all kinds of storms, but it takes strong, effective leadership — but Donald Trump just doesn't have it," Sullivan added.

Communications director Jennifer Palmieri made reference to Trump's firing of Corey Lewandowski, remarking, "There is a lot of talk this week for a campaign reset for the Trump campaign, but what Donald Trump proved is you can change the campaign manager but not the candidate."

The former secretary of state said the U.S. respects the will of the United Kingdom and its decision, adding that the "first task has to be to make sure that the economic uncertainty created by these events does not hurt working families here in America."

"We also have to make clear America's steadfast commitment to the special relationship with Britain and the trans-Atlantic alliance with Europe," she said.

Addressing Brexit earlier Friday morning, Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that the vote "is an indication that the global economy is not working for everybody."

"It's not working in the United States for everybody, and it's not working in the U.K. for everybody," Sanders said. When you see, you know, investors going to China and shutting down factories in this country, and laying off over a period of many years, millions of people are saying, 'You know what? Global economy may be great for some people, not for me.'"

Sanders suggested that the solution "is to create a situation where there is more international cooperation" and "put an end to these horrific wars that we have seen over the years."

"But at the same time," he said it was important that "we do not forget about the people left behind and we make sure that we have jobs, and income and health care for all of our people."

Annie Karni contributed reporting.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misattributed a quote from Jennifer Palmieri.