Mike Pence and Tim Kaine spar over Clinton and Trump foundations at VP debate

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) launched a broadside against the Clinton Foundation at Tuesday night's vice presidential debate, alleging that Bill and Hillary Clinton set up their charitable foundation to get around the ban on foreign contributions to U.S. political campaigns. "You asked the trustworthy question in the beginning," he told moderator Elaine Quijano. "The reason people don't trust Hillary Clinton is because they're looking at the pay-to-play politics that she operated at the Clinton Foundation, through a private server, while she's secretary of state, and they're saying enough is enough." Sen. Tim Kaine (D) was up for the challenge.
"I am glad to talk about the foundation," he said. "The Clinton Foundation is one of the highest-rated foundations in the world. It provides AIDS drugs to about 11 million people. It helps Americans deal with opioid overdoses. It gets higher rankings for its charity than the American Red Cross." The State Department did an investigation, he added, and found that Clinton had acted in all cases in the best interests of America. "So the foundation does good work, and Hillary Clinton, as secretary of state, acted in the interests of the United States," Kaine said. He compared that to the Trump Organization, which he called "an octopus-like organization with tentacles all over the world whose conflicts of interest could only be known if Donald Trump would release his tax returns," and the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which was fined for contributing to a political campaign, apparently by mistake.
It was one of the calmer exchanges of the debate.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Superboys of Malegaon: 'uplifting' Indian love letter to scrappy filmmaking
The Week Recommends 'Feelgood' comedy about a group of friends who make their own versions of Bollywood hits
By The Week UK Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Rio’s dirtiest party, a pancake-flipping race, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
Properties of the week: residences for croquet enthusiasts
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in Devon, Dorset and Oxfordshire
By The Week UK Published
-
Rep. Sylvester Turner dies, weeks after joining House
Speed Read The former Houston mayor and longtime state legislator left behind a final message for Trump: 'Don't mess with Medicaid'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses Ukraine intelligence sharing
Speed Read The decision is intended to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into peace negotiations with Vladimir Putin
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rules against Trump on aid freeze
Speed Read The court rejected the president's request to freeze nearly $2 billion in payments for foreign humanitarian work
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump touts early wins in partisan speech to Congress
Speed Read The president said he is 'just getting started' with his sweeping changes to immigration, the economy and foreign policy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trudeau blasts Trump's 'very dumb' trade war
Speed Read Retaliatory measures have been announced by America's largest trading partners following Trump's tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine after public spat
Speed Read Trump and J.D. Vance berated Volodymyr Zelenskyy for what they saw as insufficient gratitude
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's Mexico and Canada tariffs begin, roiling markets
Speed Read Stocks plunged after Trump affirmed that the tariffs would take effect, sparking a likely trade war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Judge tells White House to stop ordering mass firings
speed read The ruling is a complication in the Trump administration's plans to slash the federal workforce
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published