Tim Kaine: Donald Trump's 'personal Mount Rushmore' features Vladimir Putin, Saddam Hussein


After making a few groan-worthy Apprentice-related jokes earlier in the vice-presidential debate, Tim Kaine redeemed himself with a sassy burn against Donald Trump and his admiration for certain foreign leaders.
"He loves dictators," Kaine said. "He's got sort of a personal Mount Rushmore: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Moammar Gadhafi, and Saddam Hussein." Trump hasn't been quiet with his praise of Putin — in September, he said he has "been a leader far more than our president has been," and after Putin called him a "talented person" last year, Trump responded, "It is always a great honor to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond."
Trump dubbed the North Korean leader a "maniac," but conceded it's "incredible" how Kim Jong Un was able to "take over and he's the boss," adding, "you've gotta give him credit." When it comes to Gadhafi, Trump reportedly made overtures to the Libyan dictator before he was ousted from power and killed in 2011; he allegedly tried to raise money from his regime, and rented his home in Bedford, New York, for Gadhafi to use while in the U.S. to visit the UN. He also managed to both compliment and diss Hussein during a rally in July, saying that while he was "a bad guy — really bad guy," he did do one thing well: "He killed terrorists. He did that so good. They didn't read them the rights. They didn't talk."
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Calls for both calm and consequences follow Kirk killing
TALKING POINTS The suspected assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk has some public figures pleading for restraint, while others agitate for violent reprisals
-
Why does Donald Trump keeping showing up at major sporting events?
Today's Big Question Trump has appeared at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 and other events
-
‘Democracy is under threat globally’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants