Kamala Harris finally sits down for her first major in-person interview since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, with an MSNBC host who vehemently defended her press-dodging strategy.
The vice president’s decision to appear in a pre-recorded, one-on-one conversation with Stephanie Ruhle on Wednesday night sparked widespread ridicule and claims that she won’t be asked any serious questions before the election.
The news sparked an immediate reaction from Donald Trump’s former running mate, Senator JD Vance.
“This is legitimately pathetic for a person who wants to be president,” he wrote. Ruhle has explicitly endorsed Harris. She won’t ask tough questions.”
Stephanie Ruhle participates in the session “Closing the financial access gap for women” on stage during the second day of the Clinton Global Initiative
Ruhle sparked MAGA fury over the weekend after he appeared on Bill Maher’s HBO show, called Donald Trump a “threat to democracy” and defended Harris as “not perfect.”
Trump responded by calling Ruhle “dumb as a rock” and “a fool” in a scathing post on Truth Social.
During an appearance on HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher on Friday, Rule defended Harris for dodging interviews and avoiding specific questions.
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens said that before voting for Harris, she should sit down and answer serious questions from reporters.
“I don’t think it’s too much to ask her to sit down for a real interview instead of a stilted article in which she describes, as she does, her feelings about growing up in Oakland with beautiful gardens,” she complained, prompting outrage from Ruhle.
“I’d just say that when you move into Nirvana, give me your realtor’s number and I’ll be your next-door neighbor,” she said mockingly. “We don’t live there.”
Ruhle said voters knew enough about Trump to vote for Harris, despite her lack of interviews, and that it was an easy choice without hearing more about her.
Harris dodged questions during an interview on HBO last week
“Kamala Harris is not running on the perfect ticket. She’s running against Trump,” he said. “We have two options. So there are some questions we may not know how she will respond. And in 2024, unlike in 2016, many Americans know exactly what Trump will do, who he is, and what kind of threat he poses to democracy.”
Ruhle’s appearance on Bill Maher’s show sparked a backlash from former President Donald Trump, who described her as a “rock star fool.”
The interview will air Thursday night at 7:00 pm EST.