Sen. Tim Kaine (D,. Va.) emphasized Tuesday that he is is "nobody's press secretary" when pressed on why Hillary Clinton has not condemned Hollywood mogul and Democratic mega-donor Harvey Weinstein for the high-profile sexual harassment allegations levied against him.
CNN host Alisyn Camerota asked Kaine, who ran as Clinton's running mate in the 2016 presidential election, to address the controversy surrounding Weinstein. The New York Times reported last week that the Hollywood producer has been accused of sexual harassing at least eight women over the span of nearly 30 years.
Kaine said the "allegations are low-life behavior; they're unacceptable."
Camerota then noted that Weinstein donated $39,000 to Clinton's presidential campaign and asked, "Should that money be given back?"
"Well, the campaign's over," Kaine responded. "Here's what's happening: you gotta call out bad behavior. Anybody who sexually harasses somebody, or anybody who uses their position of power, especially to coerce or intimidate somebody, that's low life behavior. And it's unacceptable."
Weinstein maxed out donations ($5,400) to Clinton's failed 2016 presidential campaign and gave more than $30,000 to the Hillary Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee between Clinton's campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and more than 30 state Democratic parties. He has also given at least $250,000 to the Clinton Foundation.
Kaine noted that some Democrats are giving back money they received from Weinstein but clarified that he has not received any money from the media mogul this election cycle.
"I haven't asked him for anything; he hasn't given me anything," Kaine said.
Camerota then asked Kaine why Clinton did not once mention Weinstein or the sexual harassment allegations against him during a 90-minute speech in California on Monday night. The event at the University of California, Davis was part of Clinton's book tour to promote her book, What Happened.
"Look, you know, Alisyn, I'm nobody's press secretary; I'm a U.S. senator," Kaine said. "And I'm telling you that sexual harassment is unacceptable, and I really think it's low-life behavior."
"Hillary Clinton speaks out against sexual harassment often, and I'm sure she'll have have a word to say when the time is right for her," he added. "But I'm not anybody's press secretary."
"You would recommend that she would do that?" Camerota asked.
"Any leader should condemn this," Kaine said.
Clinton has come under fire for not speaking out against Weinstein or addressing the allegations since they surfaced last week. Liberal pundit Krystal Ball, a former MSNBC host and former Democratic candidate for Congress, said Monday that Clinton's "silence" on Weinstein is "unacceptable."