News & Politics

Tim Kaine Is Free! A Look Back at His 27-Hour Ordeal Snowbound on I-95.

The only person who didn't freak out: Tim Kaine himself.

Senator Tim Kaine reaches his office after being snowbound for 27 hours. Photograph courtesy of Katie Stuntz

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine was among thousands of drivers left stranded on I-95 between Fredericksburg and the Beltway after a snowstorm caused multiple accidents and created virtual parking lot on the busy thoroughfare.

But unlike the other drivers marooned along the highway, Kaine was someone who, but for a few midwestern votes in 2016, might right now be in his second term as vice president—which meant that the Senator’s ordeal became something of an event in certain corners of the Internet.

Here’s a look back at how America (and Tim Kaine) handled his 27-hour captivity.

The Senator reportedly left his home near Richmond on Monday afternoon to attend meetings in Washington. What should have been a swift two hour drive has stretched beyond 27 hours in freezing conditions.

Despite being stuck behind what looks like a fresh mushroom truck for 27 hours, Kaine remained relatively calm. Even sunny, like this Florida orange he received in the middle of the night from a Connecticut family (Connecticutuns are pleased).

Not everyone was as calm as Tim Kaine about the Tim Kaine situation.

Even seasoned weather experts were freaking out, and they’ve seen every sh*t storm out there.

Some people were wondering why Tim Kaine hasn’t pulled a Ted Cruz and hightailed it to Cancun by now.

https://twitter.com/SawtoothSasqua1/status/1478386655769866251

But Tim Kaine was barely complaining. WHAT WAS HE DOING?

WHY HADN’T HE ESCAPED LIKE IN AN OLD TIME-Y MOVIE?!

https://twitter.com/OsitaNwanevu/status/1478430067030167570

GIVE THE MAN MORE ORANGES! And maybe some water.

His patience began to seem otherworldly.

Celestial.

He stayed grateful for the simple things: A good coat. Fuel. Oranges.

With this level of patience, forget Tim Kaine for Vice President. Tim Kaine for Dalai Lama.

And once he was freed, Kaine—ever the dedicated public servant—went straight to the office.

All in all, a bad night for Tim Kaine the commuter was a good night for Tim Kaine the role model:

*This story has been updated. Kaine left Richmond Monday afternoon, not evening. 

Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.