Heidi M. Przybyla

USA TODAY

Donald Trump has “doubled down” on “his most disturbing beliefs” by picking Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate, said Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

In a statement, Podesta called Pence the “most extreme” vice presidential pick in a generation.

According to the statement, Podesta said that Pence: was an early supporter of the Tea Party; “personally spearheaded” a religious liberty bill that “legalized discrimination” against gays and lesbians (which he later revised); and he was a leader in the effort to defund Planned Parenthood as a member of the U.S. House.

Podesta called Pence an “incredibly divisive and unpopular running mate known for supporting discriminatory politics and failed economic policies that favor millionaires and corporations over working families.”

He also cited Pence’s opposition to raising the federal minimum wage and a statistic that incomes in Indiana are stalled at 38th in the nation, calling him “no economic leader or friend to the American worker.”

Clinton is in the midst of making her own vice presidential pick. She is considering whether to opt for a progressive firebrand like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who would likely energize young voters and liberal Democrats who backed Sen. Bernie Sanders in the primary. Clinton’s short list also includes Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who cuts a more conventional profile as a moderate from a swing state with governing experience. Kaine is also a former Virginia governor.

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