This is an adapted excerpt from the Sept. 27 episode of “Morning Joe.”
After my exclusive sit-down with Vice President Kamala Harris, criticism from conservative media quickly poured in, with some dismissing the conversation as a “softball” interview.
As I learned from Donald Trump, all press is good press. So I am thrilled to be all over the airwaves all day long. But in all seriousness, that criticism is nonsense. Anybody who watched my interview with Harris knows we sat down for 25 minutes and talked about one single topic: the economy. It’s the No. 1 issue for voters. And if Trump would like to sit down and have the same conversation I had with Harris, I’m ready for him.
The economy is a huge vulnerability for both candidates. Did I think Harris answered every single question perfectly and gave people exactly what they wanted? No. Many people felt like she was speaking in platitudes. Harris laid out her economic vision but she didn’t give much detail. Those details are in an 80-page policy proposal on her website.
On the other side, Trump has given voters absolutely nothing about his plans for the economy, other than going on and on about how he gave America “the best economy ever” during his first administration, how he’ll impose blanket tariffs next time around, and his promise of mass deportations — which would cause huge issues for our economy. But despite that, and all of the Biden-Harris economic wins over the last four years, Trump is still the candidate who’s emotionally connected with blue-collar workers and he’s still the one voters seem to trust more when it comes to economic issues. If Harris wants to win, she needs to figure out why that is.
Stephanie Ruhle
Stephanie Ruhle is host of “The 11th Hour” at 11 p.m. ET on MSNBC and senior business analyst for NBC News.
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW. Recommended
