Kaine: Trump 'unfit' for commander in chief Clinton's running mate cited the GOP nominee's feuds with John McCain and the Khan family while attacking his leadership.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Tim Kaine went on the attack Tuesday, repeatedly hitting Donald Trump for his missteps relating to the military while addressing a friendly audience here near Fort Bragg, one of the largest U.S. Army bases in the country.

“Anybody who says the American military is a disaster is unfit to be commander in chief,” Kaine said, bringing the military heavy crowd to their feet. “I don’t think, in the history of the United States, there has been a major party nominee who has talked with such disrespect about the military.”


He then ticked off a list of other Trump controversies, including the GOP presidential nominee’s criticism of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), saying he isn't a war hero because he was captured in Vietnam, and Trump’s recent feud with the Khans, a Muslim-American family whose son, an Army captain, was killed while serving in Iraq.

“Going after a Gold Star family? I’ve gotta believe in North Carolina that’s viewed the same way it’s viewed in Virginia,” Kaine said.

“How about making fun of John McCain for being a POW?" he added. "Could you be more thick-headed, insensible and ignorant than that?”

When he wasn’t attacking Trump, Kaine spent much of his time here touting his and Hillary Clinton’s military-related bona fides — he currently serves on the Armed Services Committee as did Clinton when she was a senator. The two promise to keep the armed forces at the top of their policy agenda if elected.

Kaine said he and Clinton would work to “protect and expand” the G.I. bill, reform the Department of Veterans Affairs and enact policies that would give more consideration to families during oversea deployment assignments.

“There’s a lot we can do, and Hillary and I are going to do it. This is an issue of passion for us,” he told the crowd, speaking in a silo style rotunda here at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

Kaine also talked a little about his son, Nat, a Marine who was recently deployed overseas.

“Maybe I focus a little extra, having a kid in the military. It’s rare, there are only two senators who do,” Kaine said, asking the crowd to raise their hands if they or their families have served. More than half of the hands in the room shot up.

His wife, former Virginia Education Secretary Anne Holton, also played up their military ties, mentioning their son’s deployment and reminding the crowd of the first bill the Kaine had enacted as senator, a measure that helps active-duty military members get civilian credit for their training.

“Virginia rivals North Carolina for being one of the most military-family states in the nation,” she said. Holton has traveled with Kaine over the past two days but is staying in North Carolina as Kaine heads to the Midwest this evening.

“I think I’m going to be spending a lot of time in North Carolina. I think we’re all going to be spending a lot of time in North Carolina,” Holton said as the crowd drowned her out with cheers.