Retired Virginia U.S. Senator John Warner, a Republican, gave a ringing endorsement of the Democratic Clinton-Kaine ticket at an event in Alexandria Wednesday morning. He was introduced by current U.S. Senator and vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine who was making his first public appearance in Northern Virginia since being nominated for vice president in July. Today’s event, that also featured Virginia’s U.S Sen. Mark Warner, was built around the John Warner endorsement. The veteran lawmaker, who served 30 years in the U.S. Senate, most as chair or ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, who was also Secretary of the Navy, was sharp in his support for Clinton and also in his criticism of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, though mentioning Trump by name only as an afterthought at the last moment.
While calling Clinton “firm, fair and respectful” in Monday’s televised debate, he said that “that last quality is totally lacking on the other side.” He assailed Trump’s “audacity to degrade the Purple Heart and the military,” which he said is “the strongest in the world and not in shambles.” The Pentagon, he said, “Is just as vibrant as when I was there.” In a final comment, he said that when he was in boot camp as an 18-year-old in 1945, with World War II still going on, there was a sign posted for everyone to see that said, “Loose lips sink ships,” and added, “Got that, Trump?”
Kaine introduced Warner saying he has been friends of his wife’s family (her father being former Virginia governor Lynwood Holton) for over 70 years.
