Tim Kaine Says Trump ‘Loves Dictators’

Tim Kaine and Mike Pence are both fathers of Marines. And when it came to discussing foreign policy, the pair occasionally had kind words for each other during their vice presidential debate.

But when it came to their running mates, things were very, very different.

When asked about Donald Trump’s positive comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kaine was blunt, saying, “He loves dictators,” using Saddam Hussein as another example.

“If you don’t know the difference between dictators and elected leaders, you need to go back to a fifth-grade civics class,” Kaine continued.

Kaine went even further, alleging that Trump has direct ties to Russian oligarchs, saying, “It’s clear he has business dealing with Russian oligarchs who are very close to Putin.”

For his part, Pence pushed back saying that Clinton’s foreign policy has enabled Putin and that Trump would offer a stronger negotiating hand with Russia and accused the Obama administration of offering a “ransom payment” to Iran in exchange for the release of hostages.

“This whole Putin thing,” he said. “Our country is stronger than Russia. … When Donald Trump and I say that Putin has been stronger on the world stage that’s not praising Putin that’s an indictment of this administration.”