‘We Don’t Live in Nirvana’: MSNBC’s Ruhle Passionately Argues Press, Public Don’t Need ‘Substantive Answers’ From Kamala Harris

MSNBC news anchor Stephanie Ruhle on Friday argued against the necessity of interviews or substantive questions for Vice President Kamala Harris in the Democratic nominee’s bid for the presidency, making the case that the only issue that should be of concern to voters is that she’s not Donald Trump.

Ruhle appeared on the latest episode of HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher on Friday, alongside New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, who has been under fire this week from the left for having written that, while he won’t be voting for Trump, Harris has yet to earn to his confidence or vote on her potential presidency.

As the three were discussing Harris’s answers on American policy in Israel, the question of whether Harris’s value answers on the subject, or any other, are of consequence to voters.

“It would be great for her to sit down with you or George Stephanopoulos or you, Stephanie,” Stephens said. “Ask her, ask her – you know, 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 a prescient set of questions.”

“It’s not too much to ask, Kamala, say, are you for a Palestinian state if Hamas is going to run that state? Yes or no,” he said.

“Okay, let’s say you don’t like her answer,” Ruhle replied. “Are you going to vote for Donald Trump?”

“No, I’m not. I’m just said I’m not going to vote for him,” Stephens answered.

“Kamala Harris isn’t running for perfect. She’s running against Trump,” Ruhle continued. “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.”

When Stephens argued that voters don’t know Harris’s answer on these substantive questions, Ruhle replied about Trump, “But you know his answer to everything!”

“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,” Stephens replied. “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 again dismissed the idea that it might be useful for the Democratic candidate to be asked specific questions or give specific answers.

“I would just say to that, when you move to Nirvana, give me your real estate broker’s number and I’ll be your next door neighbor,” she said mockingly. “We don’t live there.”

When Stephens said that just having “a substantive answer on real questions facing the American people on inflation, immigration, foreign policy” is one of the “basic things that we used to expect” from presidential candidates, Ruhle again replied by suggesting it’s a fanciful notion.

“I would just say that did you ever play the game ‘Would You Rather?’ Because that is what voting for the president is. Okay?” she said, somehow missing that in order to prefer one thing over another, it’s traditional to know what both things are.

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?

Watch the clip above via HBO.