Sen. Tim Kaine Timothy (Tim) Michael KaineThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep Catholic group launches .7M campaign against Biden targeting swing-state voters GOP senator to quarantine after coronavirus exposure MORE (D-Va.) says President Trump is showing “authoritarian tendencies.”

“People don’t like people who have authoritarian tendencies and sadly our president and some of his top advisers do,” Kaine told reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday, according to CBS News.

“They don’t like criticism, they don’t like peaceful protest,” the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee said of Trump and his advisers.

ADVERTISEMENT

Kaine said Trump is attacking any constraints against his power, including judges, protesters and the media.

“He’s going after all the checks and balances,” he said. "But checks and balances are there for a reason.

“This is a time where the checks and balances, where our system is being tested. I think you’re going to see the system be vindicated.”

Trump has repeatedly clashed with the media, accusing news outlets and individual journalists of being biased against him.

Trump also sparked controversy when he criticized federal Judge James Robart for issuing an immediate nationwide restraining order against Trump’s immigration actions.

“The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!” Trump tweeted on Saturday.

Robart was appointed by former President George W. Bush, a Republican, and approved by a 99-0 Senate vote in 2004.

The Justice Department has appealed to lift that order.

Trump on Tuesday vowed he would take the legal battle over his executive order to the Supreme Court if necessary.

“Some things are law, and I’m all in favor of that, and some things are common sense,” he said at the White House. "This is common sense.”

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco is set to hear arguments Tuesday on the Department of Justice’s emergency request to lift Robart’s order.

The DOJ hopes to resume enforcement of the ban, which halts travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan and Yemen for 90 days.

The measure also imposes a 120-day freeze on general refugee admissions in the U.S., adding an indefinite pause on Syrian refugees due to ongoing Syria’s civil war.