MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle excused Vice President Kamala Harris for repeatedly dodging questions Friday, arguing she is just like any other politician.
After months of being criticized for a lack of unscripted media appearances, Harris did a solo interview with Ruhle on MSNBC on Wednesday. The interview was slammed by a variety of sources, including the New York Times, which said, "Ms. Harris responded to the fairly basic and predictable questions with roundabout responses that did not provide a substantive answer."
Ruhle defended her interview and Harris' performance in it when she appeared on "Morning Joe."
"Obviously, for anybody who watched the interview I did with Vice President Harris, we sat down for 25 minutes and we talked about one single topic: the economy," she said. "It is the number one issue for voters."
MSNBC HOST DEFENDS HARRIS AVOIDING POLICY QUESTIONS: SHE'S ‘NOT RUNNING FOR PERFECT’
"I think it’s hugely important, and it’s a vulnerability for both candidates, but it's really tricky, Joe, because, you know, you obviously want to cover all of these topics, but to just do it with one candidate, it’s hard, because many people feel like she’s speaking in platitudes," Ruhle said. "She’s speaking about an economic vision, and she’s not giving details - She’s got an 80-page detailed policy proposal."
While she admitted Harris is dodging questions with "platitudes," Ruhle explained it away as simply being the typical behavior of a politician.
"And do I think that she answers every single question and gives people exactly what they want? She doesn’t. You know why? Because she’s a politician, and none of them do. They all speak in platitudes," she said.
Ruhle also criticized former President Trump, and expressed shock that he is favored over the Biden-Harris administration's economic record.
KAMALA HARRIS CONFRONTED ON NOT EARNING TEAMSTERS ENDORSEMENT: ‘WHAT WAS THEIR REASONING?’
"She needs to solve for why he still polls better on economic issues with voters, because that, to me, is mind-boggling," she said.
Ruhle likewise threw down the gauntlet for Trump to do an interview with her as well, "If Donald Trump would like to sit down and have that same conversation, I’m ready for you."
