MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle lost all control of Friday’s edition of The 11th Hour during an undignified segment on Sen. Lindsey Graham’s 15-week abortion bill. Panelist and comedian Judy Gold accused Graham of supporting the bill because “he’s never seen a vagina” or “seen a naked woman.” Instead of returning dignity to the conversation, all the other panelists erupted in laughter allowing Gold to later claim that pro-life men need Viagra.
Ruhle began the abortion conversation in a more reasonable tone, but still without regard for basic facts:
Lindsey Graham, who is more than doubling down, he is going further pushing a federal ban. A national ban on abortion. I want you to first help me understand, why would he even be doing this? Right. They overturned Roe v. Wade. So for that portion of their base who wanted that, you got what you wanted. Why do this? Republicans don't even support it across the board. He's dividing Republicans. It's not like you can get white evangelical voters to vote for you twice. And now they're knocking out a ton of other potential new voters.
Even the chyron admitted it was a 15-week ban, but after some cross-talk, Gold couldn’t believe Graham would have the gall to introduce such a bill, “And, the fact that he is telling women what to do with their bodies. He's never seen a vagina! He has never seen a naked woman. And he is telling me—”
Instead of condemning Gold’s remarks and getting the conversation back on track, Ruhle fed into the commotion that Gold’s comments created, “We don't know that for sure.”
CNBC’s Ron Insana added such remarks in the journalism profession would be regarded as “an unconfirmed report” and after some more crosstalk, Insana added, “If I could flip that though. As a married man who’s got a wife and two daughters. I don't want somebody who's not married, without a family dictating my family policy.”
CBS Sunday Morning contributor Nancy Giles followed by returning to Graham, “Well, and also even though I know that their women who support the ban on abortion and support the revocation of Roe v. Wade. It really makes me uncomfortable that a guy, that a man, in the press conference, there he is in front with these two meek women standing beside him.”
After Insana interrupted to remind everyone that Sen. Marco Rubio was also there, Giles wondered, “Do they want to have babies? Do they want—”
Gold then claimed, “No, they’re men who need Viagra. They don't even operate correctly!”
MSNBC’s transformation into left-wing comments sections is now complete.
This segment was sponsored by Lexus.
Here is a transcript of the September 23 show:
MSNBC's The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle
9/24/2022
11:50 PMSTEPHANIE RUHLE: Well I know all of you have something to say about Lindsey Graham.
JUDY GOLD: Oh my god.
RUHLE: Lindsey Graham, who is more than doubling down, he is going further pushing a federal ban. A national ban on abortion. I want you to first help me understand, why would he even be doing this? Right. They overturned Roe v. Wade. So for that portion of their base who wanted that, you got what you wanted.
NANCY GILES: Right.
RUHLE: Why do this? Republicans don't even support it across the board. He's dividing Republicans. It's not like you can get white evangelical voters to vote for you twice.
GILES: Right.
RUHLE: And now they're knocking out a ton of other potential new voters.
GOLD: And he’s ignoring what happened in Kansas.
GILES AND LIZ PLANK: Yes.
GOLD: You know, it's like, come on people.
PLANK: And in so many other swing states, women registering to vote.
GOLD: Oh, I know. And, the fact--
GILES: Go for it.
GOLD: -- that he is telling women what to do with their bodies. He's never seen a vagina! He has never seen a naked woman. And he is telling me.
[Unintelligible]
RUHLE: We don't know that for sure.
[crosstalk]
RON INSANA: Judy, we refer to that as an unconfirmed report.
GOLD: Okay, I’m going to say unconfirmed—
PLANK: Someone needs to find out.
GOLD: I’m going to speculate—
GILES: According to Judy Gold—
GOLD: --that—
INSANA: If I could flip that though—
RUHLE: Yeah.
INSANA: -- As a married man who’s got a wife and two daughters. I don't want somebody who's not married, without a family dictating my family policy.
GOLD: Oh, same.
GILES: Well, and also even though I know that their women who support the ban on abortion and support the revocation of Roe v. Wade. It really makes me uncomfortable that a guy, that a man, in the press conference, there he is in front with these two meek women standing beside him.
INSANA: And Marco Rubio, don’t forget.
GILES: Oh my god.
GOLD: And these are men--
GILES: Do they want to have babies? Do they want—
GOLD: No, they’re men who need Viagra. They don't even operate correctly!
GILES: Right.
