Kaine: Trump’s Taiwan Call Is ‘Amateur Hourish’ But Hiring Bannon Is Worse

Democratic vice presidential candidate, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia arrives speaks to delegates on day three of the 2016 Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, on July 27, 2016.... Democratic vice presidential candidate, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia arrives speaks to delegates on day three of the 2016 Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, on July 27, 2016. (Photo by Anthony Behar) *** Please Use Credit from Credit Field *** MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), the defeated Democratic nominee for vice president, said he wasn’t surprised by President-elect Donald Trump’s phone call with Taiwan’s president – a move that disregarded nearly four decades of foreign policy precedent.

“It’s kind of amateur hourish is what I would say,” Kaine told reporters Monday on Capitol Hill.

But despite all the criticism of the the Taiwan call, Kaine said it’s not anywhere close to the top of his list of concerns with Donald Trump.

“I would say amateur hourish, but it’s the not the thing I am most worried about. You know having somebody as a key adviser who has connections to white nationalists and anti-Semites is a much bigger order of concern,” Kaine said, referencing Trump’s selection of Steve Bannon as a top White House adviser. “Putting somebody in who wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act as HHS secretary much bigger order of concern. I would put this as a kind of amateur hour thing.”

Kaine returned to the Senate earlier this month after he served as Hillary Clinton’s VP pick. On the campaign trail, Kaine was a dogged critic of Trump, but since returning to the Senate has tried not to weigh in on every moment of Trump’s transition.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. …but since returning to the Senate has tried not to weigh in on every moment of Trump’s transition.

    Trump’s latest reality show, “Amateur Hour” would consume most of his time.

    May it be cancelled soon.

  2. Avatar for edhedh edhedh says:

    as a kid i watched bozo the clown. who knew they would bring it back? at least the hair is the same.

  3. Avatar for aiddon aiddon says:

    It’s going to be a freaking quest to rank Trump’s top ten worst moments in the next administration.

  4. I agree with Kaine here. The people Trump is hiring as advisers, and for cabinet and sub-cabinet positions, tells us more about how he intends to govern than his rhetoric and his destabilizing amateur hour bullshit shenanigans.

    And the people Trump is hiring are not just deplorable, they’re horrifying. Terrifying, even.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

37 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for codegen86 Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for jtgeomom Avatar for Lacuna-Synecdoche Avatar for sniffit Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for tomanjeri Avatar for danny Avatar for lastroth Avatar for theghostofeustacetilley Avatar for longtimeobserver Avatar for geofu54 Avatar for darcy Avatar for nemo Avatar for dickweed Avatar for georgeh Avatar for edhedh Avatar for birdford Avatar for centralasiaexpat Avatar for overthefall96 Avatar for clare Avatar for aiddon

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: