Jersey Flub: Trump Mixes Up Clinton's Running Mate And Former NJ Governor
MIAMI (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took a shot Wednesday at Hillary Clinton's running mate, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, for doing a terrible job as governor of New Jersey.
The problem, of course, is that Kaine was governor of Virginia.
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"Her running mate, Tim Kaine, who by the way, did a terrible job in New Jersey,'' Trump said at a news conference in Miami. "He was not very popular in New Jersey, and he still isn't.''
Trump might have confused Kaine with former Republican New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, pronounced the same as Kaine. Kean led the state from 1982 to 1990 while Trump was building his casino empire in Atlantic City. Kaine was governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010.
New Jersey also might have been on Trump's mind because its current governor, Republican Chris Christie, was among Trump's finalists for the vice presidential nod that ultimately went to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
Trump corrected himself after a reporter asked if he meant Virginia.
Kean, who chaired the federal 9/11 commission, skipped this year's Republican National Convention, the first time he's done that since he became involved in politics, because he disagreed with Trump on too many issues.
But speaking to WCBS 880's Peter Haskell, Kean noted that he knows Trump well, and that others have also gotten him confused with Kaine.
"Donald Trump's known me about 30 years, so I guess my name's on his lips, but he's not the only one," Kean said. "You know, I was in a New York restaurant the other night, and somebody comes over to my table and says congratulations. I said, 'What for?' I said, 'You're Hillary's running mate.' He said, 'No I'm not.'"
Meanwhile, to critics, the flub proves Trump is out of touch, but to supporters it's an innocent mistake, WCBS 880's Haskell reported.
Kean's son, a New Jersey state senator, said the flub was a minor issue.
"It is clear that he misspoke,'' said state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. "He was discussing a specific proposal in Virginia.''
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
