Mike Huckabee: Hillary Clinton's VP Tim Kaine's faith is 'real'

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Sen. Tim Kaine, who was named as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's running mate, is an "honorable" man with a "real" faith.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee speaks at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Forum in Des Moines, Iowa. October 16, 2015 06:54pm EDT | Reuters/Brian Frank

Huckabee, who was one of the 2016 presidential hopefuls under the Republican nomination but later on withdrew his candidacy in February, said that from personal knowledge, Kaine appeared to be "an honorable guy."

"By that I mean that when I have been around him, his faith is real," Huckabee told Fox News.

Huckabee also said there was something authentic about Kaine, which is the exact opposite of Clinton.

"There's an authenticity about him," Huckabee continued. "That's good because there's not much authenticity about Hillary. So in many ways, he is the polar opposite of Hillary. He does actually believe what he says. He's not somebody who puts away his faith when it's inconvenient for him."

He recounted several instances when he witnessed Kaine in action, such as after hurricane Katrina and during a Habitat for Humanity house painting event. Huckabee said Kaine was not present in these instances for a simple photo op, giving him the impression that Kaine was a "genuine guy."

However, he criticized Kaine's pro-abortion stance. He said Kaine may hold personal anti-abortion sentiments, but as a public servant, he displays pro-abortion vote.

"Let's be clear, Tim Kaine is definitely a liberal. And even though he says he's personally against abortion, he still always governs with a pro-abortion vote," Huckabee said, adding that he wasn't sure what the whole thing meant.

On Friday, July 22 Clinton announced via Twitter that she has chosen Kaine to be her running mate and urged her supporters to welcome him to the team.

She reportedly called Kaine and Pres. Barack Obama before making the announcement. She also texted the announcement to her supporters.

Kaine was chosen over Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Sen. Cory Booker, who were strong contenders for the position, according to Christian Today.