Mike Pence Has An Awfully Hypocritical Stance On Name-Calling

Donald Trump slanders people right and left, but heaven forbid Pence insult an actual Klan leader.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) doesn’t like to hurl insults around. But, uh, he knows someone who does.

On Monday, Donald Trump’s running mate cited his distaste for name-calling when he refused to apply the label “deplorable” to David Duke, an enthusiastic Trump supporter and former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer raised the question about Duke after Hillary Clinton, Trump’s Democratic opponent, said on Friday that half of Trump’s supporters fit into a “basket of deplorables.”

Asked whether he thought someone like Duke would fit Clinton’s description, Pence said: “I’m not in the name-calling business, Wolf. You know me better than that.”

Pence has used that argument before, saying in July that he doesn’t believe “name-calling has any place in public life.”

Here’s the problem, though: The biggest name-caller in American politics is Pence’s own running mate.

While Pence says he disavows name-calling, Trump has proudly, explicitly made it part of his presidential campaign.

You have to brand people,” Trump said in March.

Below are some more examples of Trump’s “branding” strategy.

"Crooked Hillary" - former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Mark Makela via Getty Images
Trump has also called Clinton a "disaster," "not a talented person or politician," a "liar" and "SAD."
"Rapists" - The people of Mexico
Kay Maeritz / LOOK-foto via Getty Images
In a June 2015 speech, Trump made inflammatory comments about Mexican immigrants, saying:

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best... They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
"Pocahontas" - Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
Robyn Beck/Getty Images
Trump has repeatedly referred to the senator as “Pocahontas” because of an old controversy over her claims of Native American heritage.
"Liberal clown" - Arianna Huffington
Denis Balibouse / Reuters
Trump was expressing anger over the Huffington Post co-founder's initial decision to cover his campaign in the site's entertainment section.
"Lyin' Ted" - Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Trump was so proud of his nickname for his former opponent in the bid for the Republican nomination that he even spelled out "Lyin' Ted" for his supporters -- who happily chanted the taunt back.
"Dumb as a rock" - CNN's Don Lemon
Charles Sykes/Invision/Associated Press
Trump bashed Lemon following an Aug. 9 CNN segment where the host had several panelists discuss Trump's "Second Amendment" comments, in which Trump implied his supporters could shoot Hillary Clinton if she won.
"Low energy" - Jeb Bush
ASSOCIATED PRESS
If Trump had a favorite insult for the former Florida governor, this was it.
"An incompetent judge!" - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Mike Groll/AP
Trump blasted the justice after she suggested his presidency would be dangerous for the U.S.
"Little Marco" - Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Trump lobbed this insult at Rubio on several occasions, including to his face during a debate among Republican presidential hopefuls.
"Crazy!" - Fox News' Megyn Kelly
Victoria Will/Invision/AP
Trump repeatedly attacked the Fox News anchor after he accused her of being unfair to him during a Republican presidential debate she moderated.
"Truly weird" (and it gets worse) - Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
After a debate last year, Trump tweeted:

"Truly weird Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky reminds me of a spoiled brat without a properly functioning brain. He was terrible at DEBATE!"
"Mental basketcase" - Conservative radio and TV personality Glenn Beck
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The diss was delivered, naturally, via Twitter.
"Slob, "degenerate," "disgusting" - Rosie O'Donnell
Dennis Van Tine/ABACA USA
Trump has called the former TV host a "disaster" and said she has a "fat, ugly face."
"Extremely hostile" - U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The reason for Curiel's alleged hostility, according to Trump: his Mexican heritage.

Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims ― 1.6 billion members of an entire religion ― from entering the U.S.

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