Stacey Abrams Says Criticisms of Kamala Harris Are ‘Linked to Race and Gender’: Can’t Ignore the ‘Racism and Misogyny’ in Our Politics

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams told Jen Psaki that she believes Vice President Kamala Harris faces added scrutiny due to racism and misogyny.

During an interview Sunday on Inside With Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary asked Abrams whether Harris would be receiving the same criticisms “if she was a White man.”

Abrams responded by claiming the office of vice president has set expectations for traditional “White male” office holders, adding that “it’s what it’s always been.” Since being elected into office, Harris has had dismal approval ratings. (FiveThirtyEight currently has the vice president’s approval at 37 percent.)

Before concluding her remarks, the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate praised Harris for responding to the backlash with poise:

PSAKI: I want to ask you about the vice president, because she has been under a huge amount of scrutiny through her entire time in office. I think there’s a lot of reasons for this. But I want to ask you, as a prominent woman of color who’s run for office, do you think she would be receiving these same critiques if she was a white man?

ABRAMS: No, no, not at all. We will always question the person behind the person, but we cannot ignore the misogyny and racism remain very prevalent in our politics. And for those behaviors that don’t rise to either misogyny or racism. There’s also just the difference. Our expectations are set for the traditional white male vice president. So what it’s always been, it’s what it’s always been. We are not always great with new, but more importantly, I know if you filter through the critiques, if you think about how she is castigated there, it is inextricably linked to race and gender. I applaud the poise with which she has responded.

Watch the full clip above via MSNBC.