Hillary Clinton rolled out Tim Kaine as her running mate at a campaign rally in Florida on Saturday — and the Virginia senator went on to give a smooth, upbeat performance that energized supporters and wowed a press corps primed to expect someone a little more boring.

Clinton first announced Kaine’s addition to the ticket in a text message to supporters Friday evening but formally — and strategically — introduced him Saturday at a rally in Miami at Florida International University.


“I have to say that Sen. Tim Kaine is everything Donald Trump and Mike Pence are not,” Clinton began. “He is qualified to step into this job and lead on Day One, and he is a progressive who likes to get things done.”

Clinton’s veep rollout, unlike Trump’s a week ago, comes before key demographics in a swing state. FIU, one of two major universities in the city, has a 60 percent Hispanic student population.

The Clinton-Kaine campaign appearance is their second in as many weeks. Kaine, a former governor and Democratic National Committee chair, first joined Clinton on the trail last Thursday in what was viewed as his veep audition.

Clinton, speaking behind a lectern branded with her signature “H” logo beside Clinton’s name above Kaine’s, highlighted the tandem as a unity ticket, while painting a stark contrast to their November rivals.

Of Trump, who in his convention address Thursday said he alone could fix America’s problems, Clinton said: “He’s not only wrong. He’s dangerously wrong. We Americans, we solve problems together. And if Donald doesn't understand that, he doesn't understand America. I know that no one does anything all alone. And part of our challenge is to make sure we do work together.”

Before introducing Kaine, Clinton hailed him as a progressive and family man who puts others first but who also has a “backbone of steel.” Clinton has said that she wanted a vice president who was ready to assume the role of the presidency.

“At every stage of Tim’s career, the people who know him best have voted to give him a promotion. And that’s because he fights for the people he represents and he delivers real results,” Clinton said. “I can't wait for all of you to get to know him the way that I have.”

“I just can’t think of anybody better to have by my side, on the campaign trail, in the White House,” she added. “Together, we are going to take on the challenges that are hurting Americans.”

Kaine, at ease in a light gray suit, white shirt and no tie, then introduced himself to the Miami crowd — and a lot of America.

“Now, I know for a lot of you, this might be the first time you're hearing me speak. And hey, let me be honest, for many of you, this is the first time you’ve even heard my name,” he joked. “But that's OK because I'm excited for us to get to know one another.”

After thanking his family for their support — including his eldest son, a “proud Marine” who will soon be “deploying to Europe to uphold America's commitment to our NATO allies,” he said in an unmistakable jab at Trump — Clinton’s smiling attack dog was unleashed.

Kaine hammered Trump for his rhetoric regarding America’s military, including suggesting that Arizona Sen. John McCain was not a war hero because he was captured in Vietnam.

“For me, this drives home the stakes in this election,” Kaine said. “Nearly 2 million men and women put their lives on the line for this country — as active duty, as reservists, as guard members — they deserve a commander in chief with the experience and the temperament to lead. What does Donald Trump say about these great Americans, these 2 millions? He repeatedly calls the American military, quote, a disaster.”





Trump’s controversial foreign policy positions are even considered dangerous among Republicans, Kaine said, urging Americans to steer clear.

“From Atlantic City to his so-called university, he leaves a trail of broken promises and wrecked lives wherever he goes,” Kaine said. “We can't afford to let him do the same thing to our country. And, folks, we don't have to because Hillary Clinton is the direct opposite of Donald Trump.”

The Virginia lawmaker shared his personal tale, informing supporters that he didn’t grow up in a household that was into politics and admitting that “vice president was never a job I thought about growing up in Kansas.”

Kaine chronicled his life from early childhood into the peak of his political career — while occasionally showcasing his fluency in Spanish — and praised the top of the ticket before charting their path forward to enact “a strong progressive agenda.”

And while Trump claims that as president America would win so much that citizens beg him to stop winning, Kaine boasted of his own record.

“I’ve never lost an election,” he said to applause. “I don’t mind powerful groups campaigning against me. That’s just like an extra cup of coffee to me, folks. It just gets me more excited. I’m 8-0, and I promise you: I’m not about to let that change, especially when Donald Trump stands in the way of progress on every single one of these issues that Hillary has laid out as part of her campaign, and many, many more.”

Trump, who rolled out Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate in Manhattan before accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for president this week, ripped Kaine in a series of tweets stretching back to late Friday, casting the Virginia lawmaker as the antithesis of progressive Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

“Is it the same Kaine that took hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts while Governor of Virginia and didn't get indicted while Bob M did?” Trump quipped in a tweet Friday evening.

Early Saturday morning, Trump predicted a floor fight at next week’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, insisting that Sanders’ supporters are incensed by the selection of Kaine.

“The Bernie Sanders supporters are furious with the choice of Tim Kaine, who represents the opposite of what Bernie stands for. Philly fight?” Trump asked.

Minutes later, he added: “Tim Kaine is, and always has been, owned by the banks. Bernie supporters are outraged, was their last choice. Bernie fought for nothing!”

In an emailed statement Friday night, the Trump campaign also blasted “Corrupt Kaine” for accepting $160,000 in gifts during his tenure as Virginia governor and lieutenant governor, though it was legal under lax state laws.

“If you think Crooked Hillary and Corrupt Kaine are going to change anything in Washington, it's just the opposite,” Trump campaign senior communications adviser Jason Miller said. “They do well by the current system, while the rest of America gets left behind.”

