MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle: People Are ‘Basically Saying’ Amy Klobuchar ‘Was a Bossy Bitch’

MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle took exception to the way Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has been characterized following reports that she “demeaned and berated her staff almost daily,” agreeing with her guest that women face harsher criticism than men for being tough managers and bosses.

Discussing Klobuchar’s presidential bid with panelists Christine Quinn and Evan Siegfried, the conversation got a bit testy after Ruhle asked Siegfried — a Republican strategist — if President Trump has anything fear from Klobuchar and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who also recently announced she’s running for president. Siegfried noted that the Minnesota senator is going to have to deal with accusations that she mistreated her staff.

Quinn, a former Democratic Speaker of the New York City Council, fired back that she was “sick and tired” of women who move up in business or politics being described as “the meanest, cruelest manager in the world” before bringing up the president.

“I’m sure Donald Trump is a peach to work for because everybody everyone you turn around, he’s told Twitter and the world you’re about to get fired,” she added.

Siegfried went on to note that it was reported that former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at one point had to pull Klobuchar aside for throwing a binder at a staffer, causing Ruhle and Quinn to both express doubts as to the accuracy of that story. Siegfried then stated that the reason these stories are coming out is that Klobuchar’s ex-staffers feel she has “temperament issues,” causing Ruhle to stare straight into the camera.

As Quinn tangled with Siegfried on the issue, Ruhle jumped in and said people are “basically saying [Klobuchar] was a bossy bitch.”

Siegfried rejected the notion this was a sexist issue, asserting that you haven’t heard similar accusations against Warren and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Hillary Clinton, leading Quinn to push back and claim that Clinton was constantly blasted for being a terrible boss.

They continued to go at it for a couple more minutes, with Quinn continuing to question the veracity of the stories because of the use of “unnamed sources” and stating that there’s a pattern of calling women “bitches” when they are described as tough. Meanwhile, Siegfried noted that sources not wanting to be identified are likely scared of retribution.

Watch the clip above, via MSNBC.