Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said there is no room for name calling in public life, despite being Donald Trump's running mate. | AP Photo Trump’s VP: 'Name-calling' has no place in public life

Donald Trump and Mike Pence may need to make communication great again.

While the Republican ticket was on the same page with its attack against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Friday, the tandem also got tangled up in mixed messaging on tactics.


Pence, speaking to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Friday morning, chafed at President Barack Obama's prime-time convention speech in which he labeled Trump a homegrown demogogue — and then delivered an eyebrow-raising statement.

“I don’t think name calling has any place in public life, and I thought that was unfortunate that the president of the United States would use a term like that, let alone laced into a sentence like that," Pence said.

The irony was made richer when Trump soon after launched a barrage of attacks at “Crooked Hillary Clinton” and “Little Michael Bloomberg.”

Trump blasted Clinton amid the tweetstorm Friday, boasting how often he was mentioned in her “very long and very boring speech” while also accusing her of lying — “in her very average scream!” — and losing.

He also mocked Bloomberg, who had ripped him in his remarks at the Democratic National Convention this week. He contended that the former New York mayor’s third term “was a disaster” (During Bloomberg’s last term, Trump tweeted that “Mike Bloomberg is doing a great job”) and suggested he would get run out of town if he ran for mayor again.

Still, the Indiana governor hailed Trump as “a man of enormous accomplishment” and someone who’s “really got a heart for the American people, and I think it comes from the fact that he’s a builder.”

Yet Friday morning, the New York businessman was tearing people down — including a four-star Marine general who spoke Thursday against Trump's credentials to be commander in chief.

Nevertheless, Pence praised the top of the ticket for his “high standard.”

“To see him among the people, not just on the campaign trail, that’s exciting to be out and to see the enthusiasm that Americans of every stripe and every background have for this good man, but to see him as I have among the people who work with him and work for him, to see their respect for his high standard, but their fondness for him, convinces me this good man is going to be a great president of the United States,” he said.