Tim Kaine—Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Virginia senator, and America’s New Dad—recently drew comparisons between Donald Trump’s suggestion that Russia hack Hillary Clinton’s email and the 1972 Watergate scandal.
As the New York Times reports, Kaine appeared on ABC’s “The Week” today, where he dodged (yet another) question about Hillary Clinton’s private email usage by focusing his response on Trump.
Referencing the Republican presidential candidate’s continued refusal to release his income tax returns, Kaine also took aim at Trump’s bafflingly cavalier address to Russia — you know, that time he said “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.” (Yes, this really did happen, and I’m sorry to have to remind you.)
Kaine condemned this blatant invitation for espionage, emphasizing that it, not Clinton’s email server, signified an actual threat. Via The Times:
“‘He has openly encouraged Russia to engage in cyberhacking to try to find more emails or materials, and we know this cyberattack on the D.N.C. was likely done by Russia,’ Mr. Kaine said of Mr. Trump on Sunday.
‘A president was impeached and had to resign over an attack on the D.N.C. during a presidential election in 1972,’ Mr. Kaine added, referring to the Watergate scandal. ‘This is serious business. So contrast the Hillary situation, where the F.B.I. said there’s no need for legal proceedings, with an attack that is being encouraged by Donald Trump on the D.N.C. by Russia, similar to what led to resignation of a president 30 years ago.’”
Dad has a point. Watch his interview with Martha Raddatz below: