Pence claims Clinton's 'deplorables' insult was way worse than anything Trump has said

Mike Pence and Tim Kaine spar over insults

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

last updated 5 October 2016

In Tuesday night's vice presidential debate, Sen. Tim Kaine (D) listed off the various insults that Donald Trump, Gov. Mike Pence's (R) running mate, has lobbed at various people and groups — Mexicans, women, Sen. John McCain (R) — and said that "if you want to have a society where everyone is respected" and respects the law, the tone has to be set at the top.

Pence countered that such insults pale in comparison to Hillary Clinton calling half of Trump's supporters "deplorables."

Even if Trump had said everything Kaine attributed to him, Pence said, the GOP nominee "still wouldn't have a fraction of the insults that Hillary Clinton leveled when she said that half of our supporters were a basket of deplorables."

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Kaine responded that Clinton apologized the next day, and noted that Trump hasn't apologized to anybody he has insulted.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.