Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence said America is less safe today than before Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state. His Democratic opponent, Tim Kaine, said the thought of Donald Trump as commander in chief scares him to death.
In their only debate of the campaign cycle, the two major-party running mates sparred Tuesday over military strategy, national security and which of their campaign partners is the more responsible choice to lead the country — and the military — in the years to come.
Both men have sons currently serving in the Marine Corps, and Kaine made that military connection part of his opening attack on Trump, the Republican business mogul turned political disruptor.
Kaine and his wife "have a son deployed overseas in the Marine Corps right now," the Virginia senator said in the opening moments of the event in his home state. "We trust Hillary Clinton as president and commander in chief, but the thought of Donald Trump as commander in chief scares us to death."
Much as Clinton has in campaign stops, he accused Trump of backing careless policies when it comes to nuclear weapons and naive strategies for dealing with foreign strongmen like Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Throughout the evening, Kaine also attacked Trump for his evasiveness in releasing his financial records, accusing him of shortchanging troops and veterans as a consequence.
Pence, the governor of Indiana, responded by referencing Clinton’s improper handling of sensitive emails during her time as secretary of State and repeating Trump’s accusations that Clinton’s mistakes lead to the Islamic State group's rise in the Middle East.
"The primary threat today is ISIS," Pence said. "Because Hillary Clinton failed to renegotiate a forces agreement that would have allowed some American combat troops to remain in Iraq and secure the hard-fought gains that the American soldier has won, ISIS was able to be literally conjured up out of the desert, and it has overrun vast areas."
Pence called Clinton the more dangerous choice, saying that while Trump is an unpolished politician, Clinton is a dangerous career bureaucrat. He reiterated Trump’s promise to rebuild the military, citing concerns from Pentagon leaders about the dwindling size of the naval fleet and Army manpower.
Kaine called those plans unrealistic and disingenuous. He said Clinton will sustain national security through alliance building and responsible spending, quipping that "Donald Trump can’t start a Twitter war with Miss Universe without shooting himself in the foot," a reference to Trump's public feudwith past pageant winner Alicia Machado.
At another point, Kaine called Trump a "fool" who could lead the country into nuclear war.
The first presidential debate last month was marked by numerous interruptions by Trump and Clinton, but the vice presidential event was perhaps more contentious, with long sections of crosstalk.
Kaine frequently accused his opponent of running from Trump’s comments and record. Pence responded by accusing his rival of fabricating insults and running a smear campaign.
Moderator Elaine Quijano, a CBS news correspondent, appeared frustrated at several moments, asking both men to stay on topic.
The next presidential debate is scheduled for Oct. 9 at 9 p.m Eastern. Follow @LeoShaneLeo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He can be reached at lshane@militarytimes.com
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Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
