Republican vice presidential nominee, JD Vance, is facing renewed scrutiny for comments he made in 2021, labeling prominent Democratic figures as “childless cat ladies.” These remarks, initially targeting Vice President Kamala Harris, have resurfaced, sparking widespread backlash and forcing Vance to defend his position.
In a recent interview on SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show,” Vance addressed the controversy, claiming his original statement was “sarcastic” and that he has “nothing against cats.” He shifted blame to the media, accusing them of fixating on the sarcasm rather than the substance of his message.
Vance’s initial comments, made during a 2021 appearance on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program, specifically called out Harris, along with Pete Buttigieg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), as examples of “childless cat ladies” purportedly running the country and aiming to impose misery on others. He asserted, “If you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC, the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children.”
Kamala Harris.
Kamala Harris in Washington on Thursday.
In his attempt to clarify his stance to Kelly, Vance stated, “It’s not a criticism of people who don’t have children. I explicitly said in my remarks … this is not about criticizing people who for various reasons don’t have kids. This is about criticizing the Democratic Party for becoming anti-family and anti-child.” He further accused the Democratic Party of adopting an “anti-family” stance in recent years, framing his remarks as a critique of their political direction rather than personal attacks.
However, Vance’s attempt at clarification has done little to quell the criticism. His “childless cat ladies” comments have been widely interpreted as demeaning and irrelevant to political discourse. The resurgence of these remarks has drawn condemnation from various quarters, including celebrities and members of Vice President Harris’s own family.
Actress Jennifer Aniston publicly criticized Vance on Instagram, expressing disbelief that such comments could come from a potential Vice President. Aniston’s criticism extended to Vance’s stance on reproductive rights, highlighting the perceived hypocrisy of his family-centric rhetoric in light of policies impacting women’s reproductive choices. She stated, “All I can say is … Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day. I hope she will not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too,” directly linking his “childless” remarks to broader concerns about reproductive healthcare access.
Adding to the chorus of disapproval, Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, responded on Instagram, challenging Vance’s definition of “childless” by referencing her and her brother Cole Emhoff’s relationship with Harris. Ella Emhoff’s post included a statement from her mother, Kerstin Emhoff, emphasizing Harris’s long-standing role as a co-parent and her nurturing presence in their blended family. This personal rebuttal further amplified the criticism against Vance, turning his “childless cat ladies” remark into a focal point of negative attention and highlighting the personal impact of his words.
