I do not believe in coincidences.
Therefore, it is not a coincidence that VP Kamala Harris will sit down for an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle.
That’s because Ruhle defended Harris for dodging interviews. After all, we don’t need “substantive answers” from the Democratic presidential candidate.
The interview happens tonight at 7 PM ET on MSNBC.
On September 20, Ruhle told the Real Time With Bill Maher panel that it’s ridiculous to expect Harris to have interviews or answer policy questions.
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens gently pushed back, but Ruhle shot him down each time.
Why does Ruhle feel like Harris doesn’t need to do interviews or answer tough questions?
Because we already know former President Donald Trump’s answers and policies.
Here’s the full transcript of their exchange:
STEPHENS: But my question to you, it’s an honest question. Is she just being vague because the political equities are such that it doesn’t pay to be specific? Or does she simply have no idea? And, you know, I am an undecided.RUHLE: Okay but that’s not an honest question to me because there’s no way you think I’m going to turn and say, you know what? You’re right. She has no idea.STEPHENS: No, no, it’s – the question that Americans have, okay, because if I’m an undecided voter, I’m never going to vote for Trump, but I’m not sure I want to vote for Kamala. And my fear is that she doesn’t really have a very good command of what she wants to do as president. It would be great for her to sit down with you or George Stephanopoulos or you, Stephanie, and gave a succession of…MAHER: As if she’d sit down with me.STEPHENS: Ask her , no George W. Bush 25 years ago was asked if he could name the president of Pakistan and other people. He had no idea. And people said, this guy has no command of of a foreign policy and it turned out to be oppression. Set of questions. It’s not too much to ask. Communists say, are you for a Palestinian state if Hamas is going to run that state? Okay. Yes or no.RUHLE: And let’s say you don’t like her answer. Are you going to vote for Donald Trump?STEPHENS: No, I’m not. I’m just said I’m not going to vote for him.RUHLE: Kamala Harris isn’t running for perfect. She’s running against Trump. We have two choices. And so there are some things you might not know her answer to. And in 2024, unlike 2016, for a lot of the American people, we know exactly what Trump will do, who he is and the kind of threat he is to democracy.STEPHENS: I don’t know her –RUHLE: So it’s unclear to me how there could be an informed…STEPHENS: Stephanie, the problem that a lot of people have with Kamala is we don’t know her answer to anything, okay?RUHLE: But you know his answer to everything!STEPHENS: And that’s why I would never vote for him. And people shouldn’t vote for him. But people also are expected to have some idea of what the program is of the person you’re supposed to vote for. You’re just not supposed to say, well, you have to vote for Y because X is this, that and the other. Let’s find out a little bit more. And I don’t think it’s a lot to ask her to sit down for a real interview as opposed to a puff piece in which she describes, like her, her feelings of growing up in Oakland with nice lawns.RUHLE: I would just say to that, when you move to Nirvana, give me your real estate brokers number and I’ll be your next door neighbor. We don’t live there.MAHER: I gotta agree. I mean I feel like, you’re the dog we’re trying to get in the car to go to the vet.STEPHENS: Ouch.RUHLE: We’re going to put that cone on your head for the rest of the day.MAHER: I say that as one of your biggest fans. You know, I mean, I gobble up everything you write. I just don’t understand how you get to this place. But okay, let’s let’s not badger.RUHLE: But do you know for the last two weeks I’ve been going on and on like, I can’t figure out where. Undecided voter – where informed undecided voters are. I’m like, who’s the person who has a list on their refrigerator of like, well, she said this and he said – I’m like this person. And then I open the New York Times three days ago and it’s you. But I get it.STEPHENS: I appreciate it. But it’s actually millions of Americans who Kamala has to persuade if she wants to win, including votes like mine. You might not like the fact that I’m not in the car, but if you want to get me in the car, okay? Feed me, Stephani, a little treat.MAHER: Okay. I have some treats here that I think.STEPHENS: Yes. Give it to me. Pass it over. And the little treat is a substantive answer on real questions facing the American people on inflation, immigration, foreign policy. Basic things that we used to expect presidential candidates could answer.RUHLE: Then I would just say that did you ever play the game “Would You Rather?” Because that is what voting for the president is. Okay?
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY