In a punchy vice-presidential debate between Democratic Virginia Senator Tim Kaine and Republican Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Donald Trump was likened to a "fool or maniac" while Hillary Clinton was dismissed as "weak and feckless" by the candidates.

Both vice-presidential nominees were clashed on a series of topics ranging from abortion to Russia. But they focused their sharp exchanges on Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump.

Mr Kaine said the Republican commander-in-chief had been referring to someone like Mr Trump.

The 58-year-old senator also criticized Mr Trump's temperament, saying he "can't start a Twitter war with Miss Universe without shooting himself in the foot".

Mr Kaine said that, Mr Trump praised dictators and had a "personal Mount Rushmore" made up of Mr Putin, Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and Kim Jong-un.

"If you don't know the difference between dictatorship and leadership, then you've got to go back to a fifth-grade civics class," Mr Kaine added.

While the 57-year-old Mr Pence contended Mr Putin would respect Mr Trump because of his strength, "plain and simple".

"The small and bullying leader of Russia has been stronger on the world stage than this administration that's stating painful facts," he added.

That's not an endorsement of Mr Putin, he said. "That's an indictment of the weak and feckless leadership of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama."

Mr Pence said his running mate had "used the tax code just the way it's supposed to be used, and he did it brilliantly".

Mr Kaine shot back, "I guess all of us who do (pay taxes) are stupid?"

Also Read: US Elections: Trump launches personal attack on Hillary Clinton

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