Tim Kaine schools Mike Pence on Trump's Putin ties in VP debate

Vice presidential hopeful Sen. Tim Kaine sent Indiana Gov. Mike Pence back to class during Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate in Farmville, Virginia.

The home state senator repeatedly turned the conversation back to Donald Trump’s and Pence’s positive remarks about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During one exchange, Kaine said Hillary Clinton maintains “the ability to stand up to a Russia in a way [the GOP] ticket does not.”

“Donald Trump again and again has praised Vladimir Putin, and it’s clear he has business dealings with Russian oligarchs who are very connected to Putin,” Kaine continued. Clinton’s running mate also brought up the removal of Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, after the veteran Republican strategist’s strong business ties to the disgraced former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych came to light.

“Vladimir Putin has run his economy into the ground, he persecutes LGBT people and journalists,” Kaine continued. Then he went in for the kill: “If you don’t know the difference between dictatorship and leadership, then you’ve gotta go back to a fifth grade civics class.”

Watch a clip of Kaine’s remarks:

“If you don’t know the difference between dictatorship & leadership…you gotta go back to a 5th grade civics class” https://t.co/v9woHrUMc2

— Fusion (@Fusion) October 5, 2016