Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence quarreled Tuesday night over foreign policy, the economy and a number of other issues during the vice presidential debate.

The two clashed over immigration, terrorism, policing, Russia, Donald Trump’s taxes, Hillary Clinton’s record as secretary of state, abortion rights and more in the first and only vice presidential debate of the year.

Kaine, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and Pence, the Republican vice presidential nominee, squared off at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., for 90 minutes. It came eight days after the first presidential debate between Trump and Clinton. The next presidential debate will be held Sunday night at Washington University in St. Louis.

Often during the debate, the vice presidential nominees attempted to tie each other to their respective running mates.

Throughout the night, Kaine attacked Trump on several issues, including his support of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his comments calling women slobs and Mexicans rapists. He also criticized Trump for potentially having avoided paying taxes over an 18-year period, as reported earlier this week in The New York Times.

Kaine accused Pence several times of being unable to defend Trump.

“I’m happy to defend him,” Pence quipped back. “Most of what you said is completely false.”

On the other side, Pence criticized Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state under President Barack Obama. He called her the architect of Obama’s foreign policy decisions and blamed her for creating the vacuum that allowed the Islamic State to grow, calling the U.S. “less safe” because of her.

Kaine, though, praised Clinton’s time as Secretary of State, pointing out that she helped devise the plan to kill former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The two also debated at length about immigration and refugees. Kaine said he and Clinton would vet refugees on “whether they’re dangerous” and criticized Trump and Pence for wanting to keep Muslims and others from Middle Eastern countries out of the U.S.

But Pence said the U.S. should “err on the side of safety and security of the American people” when it comes to deciding whether to allow refugees in the country.

“We can’t know for certain who these people are,” he said.

On the subject of immigration, Pence said a Trump administration would “reform the system we have” after securing the border and getting rid of illegal immigrants “who have overstayed their welcome.”

Kaine criticized Trump for proposing mass deportations and said a Clinton administration would pass bipartisan reform to provide immigrants with a path to citizenship.

In one of the night’s only shifts to a social issue, the Virginia senator and Indiana governor also sparred over abortion rights.

Pence blasted Clinton’s pro-choice stance, saying he “can’t conscience” supporting partial-birth abortion and advocated for pro-life legislation.

Kaine, though, said abortion should be a woman’s decision. He condemned Trump’s previous position, which the Republican nominee has since walked back, that women who have abortions should be punished.

Pence said he and Trump “would never” punish women for having abortions, prompting Kaine to ask why Trump previously said he would.

“He’s not a polished politician like you and Hillary Clinton,” Pence said.

Published on October 5, 2016 at 12:24 am

Contact Michael: mdburk01@syr.edu