US Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance is discovering that the internet not only adores cats but also takes issue with disparaging remarks about childless individuals. Comments have resurfaced in which Vance suggested that those without children were less capable of governing.
Vance’s ‘Cat Ladies’ Comment Sparks Outrage Among Harris Supporters
In a 2021 Fox News interview, Vance criticized individuals who had not procreated, labeling them as “miserable” and claiming they lacked a “direct stake” in the country. He specifically mentioned Kamala Harris, now the Democratic presidential nominee, as an example.
These remarks have ignited widespread criticism and allegations that Vance, a father of three, embodies an outdated, sexist Republican viewpoint that is out of touch with contemporary values.
“It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told MSNBC, adding: “My God, they went after ‘cat people,’ good luck with that!”
If Kamala Harris, who has two stepchildren, wins against former President Donald Trump in the November elections, she will not only make history as the first woman president but also as the first woman of Black and Asian heritage. This milestone has subjected her to attacks based on her demographics.
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Despite some Republicans criticizing her for not having biological children, Harris’s online supporters, known as the “KHive,” have rallied in her defense with memes, expressions of outrage, and supportive messages from celebrities, politicians, and her own family.
Jennifer Aniston, who has been open about her struggles with infertility, voiced her frustration with the criticism, while comedian and talk show host Whoopi Goldberg responded with a candid “Now, what the hell?”
The resurfaced 2021 clip features J.D. Vance, then a U.S. Senate candidate from Ohio, speaking to Fox’s Tucker Carlson. In the video, Vance argues that the United States is being governed by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”
“It’s just a basic fact you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children,” Vance said.
“And how does it make any sense that we’ve turned our country over to people who don’t really have a direct stake in it?”
Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, shared with CNN that Vance’s comments were particularly painful for him, given that he was dealing with an adoption setback during that period.
“He couldn’t have known that, but maybe that’s why you shouldn’t be talking about other people’s children,” Buttigieg said.
Harris has two stepchildren, Cole and Ella, from her husband Doug Emhoff’s previous marriage. Their mother, Kerstin Emhoff, told CNN that the criticisms directed at Harris were “baseless.”
“For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I,” she said.
“I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.”
At 25, Ella describes Harris as her “Momala,” meanwhile wrote on Instagram that “I love my three parents.” “How can you be ‘childless’ when you have cutie pie kids like cole and I.”
Harris supporters were quick to highlight that no U.S. president has ever given birth, as all have been men, and some have been childless. Among them was George Washington, the first president, who, like Harris, helped raise his spouse’s children from a previous marriage.
Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Republican Senator John McCain, cautioned that Vance’s remarks “are activating women across all sides, including my most conservative Trump supporting friends.”
The spotlight on politicians’ children coincides with the growing prominence of reproductive health and abortion access—issues that Kamala Harris has actively supported—becoming central to this year’s election.
“Political leaders should have children. Certainly they should at least be married,” venture capitalist and Trump-endorsed former congressional candidate Blake Masters wrote on X.
“If you aren’t running or can’t run a household of your own, how can you relate to a constituency of families, or govern wisely with respect to future generations?” he said.
In a 2021 speech, Vance even proposed that individuals with children should have more voting power.
“When you go to the polls in this country as a parent, you should have more power,” he said in quotesrevealed by the Washington Post, adding “if you don’t have as much of an investment in the future of this country, maybe you shouldn’t get nearly the same voice.”
Vance’s campaign has since characterized the comments as a “thought experiment.”
(Includes inputs from online sources)
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