On her 9:00 a.m. ET hour show on Monday, MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle denied that 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris might be too far left for some voters and instead tarred critics of the California senator as racists who just thought Harris was “too black.”

The discussion began with Ruhle asking about Michigan Congressman Justin Amash leaving the Republican Party and reportedly considering his own 2020 bid to challenge President Trump. Republican pollster Chris Wilson noted that an Amash candidacy may actually hurt Democrats by siphoning off potential support from never-Trump Republicans who were “not going to be able to vote for an Elizabeth Warren or a Kamala Harris or a Bernie Sanders.”

Ruhle was puzzled by his inclusion of Harris when listing some of the far-left presidential contenders: “Why not a Kamala Harris?” Wilson explained: “Just because she’s a little bit too far left...” Ruhle seemed shocked by that statement and demanded: “In what policy?” Wilson laughed and replied: “Oh, my gosh, where do you want me to start?” Ruhle then played the race card against her guest: “Well, tell me. Because it sounds like it’s more she’s too black.”

Wilson was visibly disturbed by the fact that the anchor would just casually hurl charges of racism: “Okay, no....I mean, that’s absurd, Stephanie.”

Still protesting the notion that Harris held left-wing views, Ruhle pressed: “Then tell me, what policy is too far left?” Wilson started citing examples: “If you want me to go through each one of Kamala Harris’s positions, she took positions against private insurance, which most Americans are against. She took a position for open borders...”

He then blasted Ruhle for trying to smear critics of Harris as racist: “I think the fact is, to make that comparison as if there is some – because of the color of her skin is really a little bit too 1960 for my taste and it’s not a fair statement.”

Rather than accept the accurate observation that Democrats like Harris hold radical liberal views on a variety of issues, Ruhle tried to immediately shut down the discussion with lazy and unfounded allegations of racial prejudice.

Here is a transcript of the July 8 exchange: