Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine is not impressed by Donald Trump's effort to mask his xenophobia and racism and appear presidential by going to Mexico. At all. He appeared on NBC's Today show Thursday morning and told Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie that this was "kind of a diplomatic amateur hour by Donald Trump." Then he blasted Trump for his suggestion that the subject of who would pay for his wall didn't come up.
"I find that kind of ridiculous," Kaine said. "Even if it didn't come up, he choked and forgot to say that to the president of Mexico after he's been saying it every day for the last many months?"
And since this is Matt Lauer—who should not be allowed within a mile of a real news story—asking the questions, Kaine had to respond to the idea that "Trump appeared more reserved and even presidential by appearing alongside Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto."
"You know, I think the important thing about leadership is you got to be consistent. You can't say different things to different audiences," Kaine said. "And so, you know, he came back across the border and then it was all about Mexico is going to build a wall. Mexico is going to pay for it. He was divisive. He basically says America is going to be deportation nation. But when he's looking the leader of Mexico in the eye, he can't bring himself to say it."
The fact that he did not do so, Kaine explained, "tells me something about his backbone" and demonstrates "kind of a diplomatic lack of resolve." Coupled with his "language of division" and vow to deport any people in the United States illegally, "that shows that Donald Trump's not changing anything," he said. […]
[…] "Donald Trump choked on the fundamental promise that he's making in this campaign when he had the opportunity to talk to the foreign leader about it by his words he didn't bring it up, by the leader's words, yeah, no did come up and I told Trump we're not paying for your wall. So that just shows that I think kind of not ready for prime-time but then back over on this side of the border, he just doubles down on this divisive deportation nation strategy."
Trump is not changing anything. He did not appear "presidential" yesterday so much as "dictatorial." Kaine made it clear that Trump could stand beside an actual president and read a piece of paper was passing no such bar. That he then returned to the United States and doubled down on his racist policies, egging on a barely contained, rabid crowd—that was as far from diplomatic, or presidential, as you could get.
Can you chip in $3 to help Hillary Clinton keep Donald Trump out of the White House?