MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle didn't take kindly to her guest telling her to "chill" at the end of a contentious interview Friday, snapping at historian Niall Ferguson his "condescension [was] not welcome."
Ruhle took exception to Ferguson's comparisons of President Donald Trump's first year in office with that of President Bill Clinton, saying they were different in personality but structurally had similar tenures to date with a surprising electoral victory, failures on health care and success on taxes.
Ferguson said the media focused too much on Trump's mercurial personality in its coverage of inevitable political issues like the pending government shutdown Friday.
"Donald Trump did not invent government shutdowns," Ferguson said.
Ruhle said it was one thing to talk about different personalities but another to talk about "common decency and disgraceful repugnant behavior" from Trump and its effect on the "hate rising" in the country.
Ferguson said he would be more worried about the president's base conduct if Trump were personally popular, but he pointed out their interview began with discussing Trump's historically poor approval ratings.
"On the one hand, American political culture seems to be turned off ... by Donald Trump. The Constitution is constraining him," Ferguson said.
Ruhle protested Harvard University wouldn't admit a student with impeccable academic credentials if he or she acted like an "animal," but Ferguson repeated presidents weren't required to be saints.
"Now let's not freak out here," he said. "I agree with you that decency is regularly affronted by Donald Trump's utterances and behavior, but luckily, our political culture is mostly appalled by that, and our Constitution is set up to contain them and prevent this from becoming a tyranny. So, chill."
There was a brief pause.
"No need to tell me to chill, Niall. I'm not freaking out," Ruhle said. "But thank you so much for joining me today. Condescension not welcome."