London, November 1 (RHC)-- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has called this year's presidential election "embarrassing," saying his job as the country's top diplomat has become more difficult. 

"There are moments when it is downright embarrassing," Kerry told students at an event with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during a visit to Britain on Monday.  "This election has been difficult for our country's perception abroad." 

Washington's top diplomat made the remarks as the campaigns of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton were struggling with several controversies. 

Trump has been under fire over his lewd and humiliating remarks about women while Clinton has been getting a lot of flak over her use of a private e-mail during her tenure as secretary of state. 

John Kerry said: "The way it's made it difficult for me is that, you know, when you sit down with some foreign ministers in another country, or a prime minister of another country, and you say: 'Hey, you know we really want you to move more authoritatively towards democracy', they look at you... They're polite, but you can see the question in their head and in their eyes and in their expression.  It's hard." 

According to an ABC News/Washington Post Tracking Poll released Monday, 59 percent of registered voters have an unfavorable view of Clinton, and an identical percentage of voters dislike Trump.