Kaine repeatedly interrupts Pence at debate

By one count, Kaine interrupted Pence 70 times.

Kaine’s interruptions started midway through Pence’s answer to moderator Elaine Quijano’s first question regarding Donald Trump’s temperament, which Pence turned on Clinton’s tenure at the State Department, including “Russian aggression” that took place during that time.

“You guys love Russia,” Kaine said. “You both have said that Vladimir Putin is a better leader than the president.”

“Well, senator, I must have hit a nerve here,” Pence shot back before moving on with his answer. Soon after, though, Kaine interrupted again, calling Pence “Donald Trump’s apprentice.”

“Senator, I think I’m still on my time,” Pence said before moving on with his answer about the Clinton Foundation accepting donations from foreign governments.

CBS News’ Frank Luntz pointed out that Kaine’s interruptions were not scoring well with a focus group of 26 undecided voters in Ohio, which he noted on multiple occasions. At one point, Luntz tweeted out that Pence was doing well because he was able to debate “like an adult without interruptions,” particularly during an exchange on taxes and the economy.

David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Obama, remarked that Kaine’s interrupting was not “serving him well.” The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza also opined that Kaine was interrupting “like a wild man.”

At one point as Pence tried responding to Kaine over Trump’s decision not to release his tax returns yet, the Virginia senator interrupted once more, leading Quijano to tell the two candidates not to speak over each other.

“Gentlemen, the people at home cannot understand either one of you when you speak over each other,” Quijano said. “I would please ask you to wait until the other is finished.”

“Alright. We’re having fun up here,” Kaine responded. “That’s right. So now we’re even.”