During the vice presidential debate, Mike Pence took a tough stance on when it comes to protecting civilians in Aleppo.

And secondly, I just have to tell you that the provocations by Russia need to be met with American strength. And if Russia chooses to be involved and continue, I should say, to be involved in this barbaric attack on civilians in Aleppo, the United States of America should be prepared to use military force to strike military targets of the Assad regime to prevent them from this humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Aleppo.

But what does Donald Trump plan to do about the crisis in Aleppo? Nothing. Not a damn thing. The 250,000 people trapped in the rebel-held section of Aleppo where children are being turned to dust by Russian bombs? Trump is ready to write them off like a loss on his taxes.

RADDATZ: What do you think will happen if Aleppo falls? TRUMP: I think Aleppo is a disaster, humanitarian-wise. RADDATZ: What do you think will happen if it falls? TRUMP: I think that it basically has fallen. Okay? It basically has fallen.

There. Done. You can’t have sad, blood-streaked 5-year-olds reminding you of the real consequences of allowing Russia to carry out its policy in Aleppo if those 5-year-olds are all buried under rubble.

As for America’s allies in Syria, the rebel factions—including longtime allies like the Kurds who fought alongside United States forces in Iraq, and who have done the bulk of the fighting against ISIS—Donald Trump is just as quick to sell them out.

TRUMP: Now, she talks tough, she talks really tough against Putin and against Assad. She talks in favor of the rebels. She doesn’t even know who the rebels are. You know, every time we take rebels, whether it’s in Iraq or anywhere else, we’re arming people. And you know what happens? They end up being worse than the people. … But look at that deal. Iran now and Russia are now against us. So she wants to fight. She wants to fight for rebels. There’s only one problem. You don’t even know who the rebels are. So what’s the purpose?

Syria is Russia’s only ally in the Middle East, and that alliance is only as strong as Assad’s government. Russia is in Syria to shore up Assad, and not for any other reason. Russia is not in Syria to fight ISIS.

Months into Russia's campaign of air strikes in Syria, it's become clear that ISIS isn't the Russian military's true target. … The vast majority of the strikes hit other groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has be known to drop barrel bombs on civilian areas.

Russia wants Assad to be there both because he gives them a base in the Middle East, and because Assad’s authoritarian rule gives Putin a model for a “successful” non-democratic government.

And as for Pence, he’s now been shown the rubles light.

RUHLE: So he clearly disagreed with you. Who’s right? PENCE: Well, we’re both really right and Martha Raddatz is wrong.

Because Raddatz used Pence’s own words to state his position … and of course, those are only words.

PENCE: The United States of America should be prepared to use military force to strike military targets of the Assad regime to prevent them from this humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Aleppo. TRUMP: I think that it basically has fallen. OK? It basically has fallen.

Sure. Those are just the same.

But at least this gets past the basic paradox in Pence’s statements—the one where Syrian refugees weren’t worth the risk of allowing them into the United States, but were worth the risk of going to war. Now things are consistent: Syrian civilians aren’t worth anything, anywhere.