Kaine: Trump right that I was 'lousy' New Jersey governor

On Donald Trump's charge that he was a poor governor in New Jersey, Tim Kaine pleads guilty.

"Yesterday he said I was a lousy governor of New Jersey. And he's right. I wasn't even ever governor of New Jersey," Hillary Clinton's running mate told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday.


Kaine, who served as governor of Virginia from 2006-2010, noted that point before taking another backhand swipe at the Republican nominee.

"But look, basic civics, 50 states. You have to give a guy a break who's only into politics the last few months and not that well-informed," the Virginia senator quipped.

Asked how he would respond to the way Trump has conducted himself throughout the campaign, Kaine called "some of it ... comical."

"Some of the things he says about me, my response is, quote, yawn, close quote but this is a -- it's a dangerous race," Kaine said, turning serious. "It's an existential choice for the country about, do you want to bring torture back? In Virginia we care a lot about religious liberty. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, people should be able to worship the way they want or not and they shouldn’t be preferred or punished."

Kaine, who served as a Catholic missionary in Honduras, added, "When Donald Trump says you know what, we’re gonna change after 240 years and we’re gonna start punishing people because of their religion? And if it's Mormons this week—I mean, if it’s Muslims this week it could be Mormons next week. We gotta fight to beat him."