Virginia Senate debate: Clinton ex-running mate Kaine, GOP challenger Cao spar on immigration, DEI in military

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican challenger Hung Cao clashed connected the statement signifier Wednesday nighttime connected a scope of issues including immigration, acquisition and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) successful the military. 

Kaine, who antecedently served arsenic politician of Virginia and was Hillary Clinton's vice statesmanlike moving mate successful 2016, made his lawsuit during the hourlong showdown astatine Norfolk State University connected wherefore helium should support his spot successful the precocious enclosure of Congress. The lone statement of the run focused connected nationalist issues and matters that resonate successful Virginia and the coastal metropolis of Norfolk, which is location to the country’s largest Navy base.

Cao, a 25-year Navy seasoned endorsed by erstwhile President Donald Trump, criticized COVID vaccine mandates for work members and the Biden-Harris administration's botched Afghanistan withdrawal erstwhile asked astir the military’s corporate nonaccomplishment to precocious conscionable recruiting goals. He besides criticized DEI efforts.

"When you’re utilizing a resistance queen to enlistee for the Navy, that’s not the radical we want," Cao said. "What we request is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip retired their ain guts, devour them and inquire for seconds. Those are the young men and women that are going to triumph wars."

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U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, left, debates Republican challenger Hung Cao astatine Norfolk State University successful Norfolk, Virginia, connected Wednesday Oct. 2, 2024. (Nextstar/WAVY-TV via AP)

Kaine, who is connected the Senate Armed Services Committee, responded by saying that railing astatine DEI "is a reddish herring" and the existent situation is informing much Americans astir the benefits of the subject erstwhile lone astir 1% of the colonisation serves successful the equipped forces. "We request to bash a amended occupation of talking astir the G.I. Bill and different benefits arsenic good arsenic the tremendous enactment grooming that you get successful the military," Kaine said.

Cao, meanwhile, brought up the G.I. Bill erstwhile challenging Kaine connected pupil indebtedness forgiveness. The incumbent Democrat had praised the Biden medication for having forgiven "the loans of much than a cardinal nationalist servants successful acknowledgment for the nationalist work they provide, whether it's successful the military, whether it's teaching, whether it's moving arsenic a frontline wellness nonrecreational oregon moving for a section oregon authorities government." 

The moderator past posed a question to Cao connected however the Republican campaigner would easiness the burden, noting that the U.S. Department of Education reports much than a cardinal Virginians beryllium a corporate $43 cardinal successful national pupil indebtedness arsenic of past October, impacting their quality to lend to the state's economy.

"If you're struggling to wage for your school, past get a G.I. Bill," Cao said. "That means spell retired and service successful the military. You'll get a stipend arsenic good arsenic tuition. We request to hole education, and we request to bash it now. But here's the happening with radical similar Senator Kaine, you've been an serviceman for 30 years successful assorted offices, successful the U.S. Senate for 12. Why person you not fixed it yet?" 

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Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., left, is facing a situation from Republican Hung Cao. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh | J. Scott Applewhite)

Kaine responded by saying Virginia "was named the champion authorities for a kid to beryllium raised successful the United States" and "the champion managed authorities and the champion authorities to bash business" erstwhile helium was politician from 2006 to 2010. 

"Oh, again, helium says what he's going to do," Cao changeable back. "Honestly, of the 227 bills that Senator Kaine has proposed, lone 3 of them made it through… That's a 99% nonaccomplishment rate." 

"Check the portion connected that. That's wholly wrong," Kaine insisted. 

However, Cao retorted, "There's 2 truths successful the world, okay? Never locomotion into a people store wearing a reddish garment and ne'er spell against an Asian erstwhile it comes to math. Trust me." 

"He's got a 99% nonaccomplishment rate," Cao added. "If I conscionable had 99% nonaccomplishment rate, and I defused bombs, I wouldn't beryllium present close now." 

Hung Cao, left, speaks connected signifier aft an invitation from erstwhile President Donald Trump during a rally successful Chesapeake, Virginia, connected June 28, 2024. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service)

The moderator besides pressed Cao, whose household fled Vietnam during the 1970s, connected whether helium supports the wide deportation of "all undocumented immigrants." 

"When Vietnam fell, we had obscurity to go, and America had brought america successful and my parents waited successful enactment for 7 years. We each did for 7 years to get our citizenship. The past happening that my dada had [hung] implicit his furniture erstwhile helium passed distant 2 years agone was his naturalization certificate. I emotion this state truthful overmuch that I wrote a blank cheque – up to including my beingness – to support it for 25 years successful Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and different parts of the world," Cao said. "Here's my happening to anybody who wants to travel here, don't inquire for an American dream. If you're not consenting to beryllium American laws and clasp the American culture, due to the fact that I did." 

"If you travel present illegally, past you request to leave, particularly if you're a convulsive transgression person," Cao said, citing new Immigration and Customs Enforcement data provided to lawmakers past week. 

"There are 13,000 convicted murderers and 16,000 convicted rapists that came crossed nether their watch. That's unacceptable. We request to support Americans each azygous day," Cao said. 

"If you came present illegally, you’ve fundamentally screwed up the full system," Cao said. "You can’t leap the enactment – I mean, you spell to Costco and leap the line, what bash you deliberation is going to happen? You can’t travel present and expect the American imagination if you’re not consenting to obey the American laws and clasp the American culture."

"Deport anybody that's committing crimes close now," helium added. "That's the archetypal happening we need. Secure the border." 

Kaine said helium ne'er supported wide amnesty but believes it would "devastate the economy" to deport the 10 cardinal amerciable immigrants who crossed the borderline during the Biden-Harris medication – a fig the moderator cited and the Democratic campaigner echoed. He besides slammed erstwhile President Donald Trump for asking Republicans to reason the past legislature borderline deal. 

"We precocious negotiated a precise pugnacious borderline woody that would person enactment a batch of resources connected the borderline to halt amerciable immigration," Kaine said. "President Trump asked for Republicans to reason it, adjacent though it was supported by the borderline power union."

Former President Donald Trump speaks astatine a run lawsuit connected Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 successful Walker, Michigan. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Another taxable was Trump’s connection to spot much tariffs connected imported goods. 

"What we request to bash is not taxation our manufacture here," Cao said. "What we request to bash is taxation different countries bringing successful goods."

Kaine criticized Trump’s proposal. "The Trump tariffs would beryllium a monolithic taxation that would origin prices connected each of these items that are imported to spell up," Kaine said. "On that, I disagree powerfully from my opponent."

With Kaine’s spot considered solidly Democratic, the contention has not seen the benignant of dead-heat polling arsenic the nationalist statesmanlike contention oregon the high-stakes play of different Senate races specified arsenic those successful Montana and Ohio, wherever Democratic incumbents look pugnacious re-election bids, according to The Associated Press. 

Trump has endorsed Cao, and governmental scientists accidental his way to triumph is constrictive fixed Virginia’s mean electorate, aversion to Trump successful 2020 and Kaine’s salience with voters, according to the AP. 

Kaine won his past contention successful 2018 by 16 percent points, though helium said helium was preparing for a pugnacious contention this year. The astir caller Republican from Virginia to clasp a U.S. Senate spot was the precocious John Warner, a centrist with an autarkic streak who past won successful 2002.

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Republicans person won statewide offices successful Virginia. Glenn Youngkin was elected politician by 2 points successful 2021, on with a Republican lieutenant politician and lawyer general.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.