MSNBC Host Stephanie Ruhle Gives Verdict on Her Interview With Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris came across as “perfectly reasonable” in her “normal” interview with MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle, the veteran newswoman said immediately following the rare sit-down.

Speaking to All In anchor Chris Hayes following the interview, which touched on a range of topics like the economy, immigration and reproductive rights, Ruhle contrasted the quality of Harris’ responses to comments made by her Republican opponent.

“What’s crazy is that Donald Trump gets so much credit—and has for the last nine years—of the fact that, you know, people have access to him and he says what he thinks and he just lets it rip. But much of what he says either doesn’t make sense or it’s not true,” Ruhle noted. Harris, on the other hand, “actually was perfectly reasonable.”

Ruhle continued: “There are some things she’s not giving you a direct answer on—because she’s a politician.”

In the interview, Harris said that taxes would not be raised on Americans making more than $400,000 annually. She also reiterated her plan to provide a $6,000 tax credit for parents of newborns, $25,000 in down-payment aid for first-time homebuyers, and a $50,000 tax credit for small businesses.

Ruhle agreed with Hayes that in the interviews Harris has done since becoming the Democratic nominee, she has been “deft” and “adept,” and saw an upside for more of them.

“What do you do if you’re her campaign and hear people go over and over, ‘I don’t know what her policies are.’ You could say, ‘We have this book that is 82 pages.’ I guarantee there are people who watched tonight and said, ‘Oh, taxes only increase if you make over 400 grand,’” Ruhle said.

“They’re not really reading the 82-page plan. And so I think the more—and she doesn’t necessarily have to do it with us—the more she sits down, she’s a great interviewer,” Ruhe continued. “I sat down with her for 25 minutes. You might not have liked all her answers, but she had one for every single question.”