Tim Kaine criticizes Trump's debate performance at NCCU campaign stop

As polling places across North Carolina opened for business Thursday, Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine rallied voters in a sweep across what he dubbed the “checkmate” state.

Kaine campaigned for Hillary Clinton at North Carolina Central University in an effort to encourage early voting and emphasize North Carolina’s importance in the election. He also visited early voting sites in Charlotte and Apex before his NCCU appearance and spoke at UNC-Asheville on Wednesday.

Kaine’s appearances followed the third and final presidential debate, and he discussed his experiences as a missionary in Honduras to criticize Trump’s comments surrounding accepting the election results.

“What I learned there is that our democratic tradition of elections and accepting the outcome of elections and then having a peaceful transfer of power, not everybody in the world lives that way,” Kaine said in his speech.

“We are fortunate to have that as a basic pillar of our democracy, and Donald Trump doesn’t accept that.”

Trump has since clarified his comments. Earlier Thursday, Trump told a crowd in Ohio that he would accept the results — if he won.

He said he reserves the right to legally challenge questionable results, but that he would accept them if they were clear.

“No, Donald, you’ve got to accept the results, win or lose,” Kaine said. “That’s what every candidate does in every presidential election in this country.”

Kaine also laid out his and Clinton’s four-point plan to rebuild the economy — which he said includes investing in infrastructure, education and small businesses and increasing the minimum wage.

“Hillary Clinton and I look at education as a way for society to get stronger,” Kaine said. “Donald Trump looked at education as ‘wow, what a great way for me to make some money.’”

Jaquel Brown, a senior at NCCU who attended the event, said it concerns him that the candidates haven’t discussed education more.

“I don’t want it to be one of those things where you just mention education just to get the young college student’s vote,” Brown said. “I would really like to see a more concrete plan.”

N.C. Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes said in a statement that Kaine’s visit comes in light of the scandals centered on the Clinton Foundation.

“As Tim Kaine talks to North Carolina voters, he should explain why corruption and conflicts of interest seem to follow the Clintons wherever they go,” he said.

Unlike other states, Kaine said, North Carolina’s senate and gubernatorial races have brought energy to the presidential race.

“Sadly in the last couple years, you’ve had leadership at the state level that’s made North Carolina known for things that isn’t who North Carolina really is,” he said. “You are not a place where bigotry is okay.”

When Clinton called Kaine in July to ask if he would be her running mate, he said she outlined a unique vision for her presidency.

“(She said), ‘I want to measure our administration by the difference we can make in people’s lives,’” he said.

@daniellechemtob

state@dailytarheel.com