Oh, the irony. Stephanie Ruhle of MSNBC, in a rare moment of candor, recently compared Donald Trump’s media accessibility to Kamala Harris’s bunker-like approach.
Ruhle recounted how, on a whim, she called Trump for an interview. He picked up, declined in his signature style, and that was that. Meanwhile, reaching Kamala Harris, according to Ruhle, would require navigating a labyrinth of staffers, sending a note via Pony Express, and maybe hoping a carrier pigeon could land it somewhere near her inbox.
Let’s break this down. For all the pearl-clutching over Trump’s relationship with the media, the man has always been accessible — whether to defend himself, tout his latest policy, or land a zinger. He even picked up the phone for an MSNBC anchor, a network that’s spent years hosting panels debating his alleged destruction of democracy. That’s rich. Sure, Trump might have told Ruhle, “No thanks,” or maybe something a bit spicier — but the point stands. The man answered.
Contrast this with Kamala Harris, who took “media aversion” to new heights. Harris, who spent much of her campaign and time in office hiding behind choreographed photo ops and interviews with sycophantic hosts, has left even the friendliest outlets frustrated. When Harris did venture into more challenging interviews, like her infamous sit-down with Fox News’s Bret Baier, the results often resembled a political blooper reel. Awkward pauses, nonsensical word salads, and the inability to answer even basic policy questions have turned her rare media appearances into unintentional comedy.
Ruhle’s lament highlights a deeper issue with the current administration. The Biden-Harris team’s reluctance to engage with the press, even on friendly terms, speaks volumes. When you refuse to take tough questions — or any questions at all — it signals either a lack of confidence in your messaging or a fear of being exposed. Either way, it’s not a good look.
Trump, for all his faults, understood the power of communication. Whether he was speaking to a hostile press or rallying his base, he never shied away from the spotlight. Love him or hate him, he made himself available. Harris, on the other hand, appears content with curated appearances and scripted soundbites. Ruhle even pointed out that the campaign’s refusal to engage with the media left voters questioning Harris’s competence. Ouch.
“I called; I said I want an interview. Obviously, he said no. But my point is, I was able to get to him by dialing his phone,” Ruhle explained. “Now that might be completely apes**t, and you’re like, ‘I can’t believe people know this guy’s phone number.'”
“And I called DJT to say, ‘Yo, can I get an interview?’ and he told me to go f**k myself, but I still was able to connect with him,” she said. “Yeah.”
“If I were to want to connect with VP Harris or President Biden, there’s 50 people between me, and that I could write a note that maybe could get to somebody to get somebody that (through) Pony Express and a pigeon, something might end up in a mailbox near them,” Ruhle continued in her interview with Lukas Thimm.
MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle says Trump was far more accessible as a candidate than Kamala was.
“He told me to go f**k myself, but I still was able to connect with him. Yeah.” pic.twitter.com/5Z6R6myvtM
— Rusty (@Rusty_Weiss) December 18, 2024
The cherry on top? MSNBC’s ratings have cratered, with Ruhle’s show hitting its lowest numbers ever. Coincidence? Probably not. The liberal media’s credibility took a nosedive over the last several years, and their refusal to hold Democrats accountable hasn’t helped. Even Ruhle herself admits the media spent too much time flapping their wings like “fat chickens” while conservatives dominated the conversation. That’s some self-awareness — but it’s too little, too late.
Ruhle’s anecdote about Trump answering her call is a reminder of why he remains a formidable force in politics. Love him or loathe him, he understands how to play the media game. Harris, on the other hand, seems stuck in the dugout, unwilling or unable to step up to the plate. And as long as she continues to hide from the press, the questions about her readiness for leadership aren’t going anywhere.
