Republican Party spokesman Sean Spicer lost his patience with an MSNBC anchor on Friday morning who wouldn’t let him off the hook without offering specific details about Donald Trump’s policy plans.
Spicer, who recently admitted he’s tied to a bad nominee, started off by calling Hillary Clinton’s speech detailing the links between Trump’s campaign and members of the white supremacist alt-right as “desperate.”
MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle eventually interjected to press Spicer on whether anything Clinton said about Trump in her Thursday speech was incorrect.
In response, Spicer said that a new video from the Clinton campaign, which features footage of members of the Ku Klux Klan giving Trump their endorsement, was “unbelievably over the top.”
Ruhle tried to interject again when Spicer said Clinton’s “scandals continue to pile up,” saying they would get to talking about the Clinton Foundation.
“You don’t think her tactic is in line with Donald Trump? Donald Trump called Hillary Clinton a bigot. That’s not desperate?” Ruhle asked.
“OK. And look at –” Spicer began.
“No, hold on,” Ruhle cut in. “Listen, if you’re saying that Hillary Clinton is pivoting I would like you to not pivot. Donald Trump called her a bigot.”
“No, no, I’m not pivoting,” he responded. “What I’m saying is Hillary Clinton is saying a lot of things about Donald Trump. She puts out a video associating him with outlandish things like white supremacists and the KKK.”
Spicer went on to say Clinton is “pivoting” because she realizes the foundation is her “Achilles’ heel.” Ruhle wasn’t having that explanation.
“Hold on. Outlandish, outlandish. It is not outlandish to go after Hillary Clinton’s health? For Rudy Giuliani to say, ‘Google Hillary Clinton and health,’ that’s not outlandish?” Ruhle asked Spicer, raising her voice.
The GOP strategist started to respond, but Ruhle cut him off, saying, “Sean, please. Answer my question. Is that not outlandish?”
“I am!” he said. “What I’m answering is the fact that how come Donald Trump and his supporters get held to one standard and Hillary Clinton and those people put out –”
“Excuse me,” Ruhle interjected again. “The AP story without a doubt went after Hillary Clinton. She has had one of the worst weeks ever. So I don’t really believe it’s fair to say we don’t go after Hillary.”
The conservation turned to Ruhl challenging Spicer to enumerate which of Trump’s policies back up the promises he’s made this week in an effort to appeal to black voters.
“I just enumerated two of them. One, he talked extensively yesterday with a group about small business lending –” Spicer began.
“But what’s the policy?” Ruhle pressed.
“Stephanie, can I answer the question? At some point, you need to let me answer it if you want an answer,” he shouted.
Later on in the interview, when Ruhle asked about the glaring radio silence from Republicans after Clinton’s speech Thursday, Spicer offered up only that “it’s August” and Congress is in recess.
As the interview wrapped, Ruhle apologized to Spicer for interrupting him earlier.
“Clearly, this is a very heated time,” she said.
Watch the exchange below:
This post has been updated.
