Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance is amplifying his controversial 2021 comments about “childless cat ladies,” remarks that have recently resurfaced and drawn widespread criticism. Vance’s statements, initially made about Vice President Kamala Harris and other prominent Democrats, are being viewed as a contentious strategy as the election season intensifies.
In a recent interview on SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show,” Vance addressed the uproar, stating, “Obviously, it was a sarcastic comment. I’ve got nothing against cats.” He then shifted blame, accusing the media of fixating on the sarcasm rather than the underlying message he intended to convey. This attempt to downplay his words has done little to quell the growing backlash, and instead appears to have reignited the debate surrounding his views on women in leadership and family structures.
Vance’s original remarks, delivered on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program, specifically targeted Vice President Kamala Harris, labeling her among the “childless cat ladies” purportedly steering the nation toward misery. He broadened his criticism to include other leading Democratic figures like Pete Buttigieg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), asserting, “If you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC, the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children.” This sweeping generalization has been interpreted by many as a prejudiced attack based on marital and parental status, rather than a substantive political critique.
Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, photographed in Washington D.C., a figure targeted by JD Vance's "childless cat ladies" remarks.
Despite the clear implications of his words, Vance attempted to clarify his stance in the Megyn Kelly interview. “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,” Vance claimed. However, this explanation has been met with skepticism, as critics point to the derogatory nature of the “childless cat ladies” phrase itself and its inherent judgment towards individuals without children.
Vance further accused the media of deliberately targeting him, claiming they “want to attack me and [wanting] me to back down.” He reiterated his core argument, asserting, “what this is fundamentally about [is] the Democrats in the past five to 10 years, Megyn, they have become anti-family.” This framing suggests Vance is attempting to re-contextualize his “childless cat ladies” comment as part of a broader critique of the Democratic party’s perceived stance on family values, rather than an attack on individuals.
The resurgence of Vance’s 2021 comments has triggered a wave of condemnation from various quarters. Celebrities, political figures, and even members of Vice President Harris’s family have voiced their disapproval. Critics have drawn parallels between Vance’s “childless” remarks and his well-documented positions on abortion rights and reproductive healthcare, highlighting a perceived contradiction in his stance on family and individual choices.
Actress Jennifer Aniston emerged as a prominent voice against Vance’s statements. In a widely circulated Instagram story, Aniston expressed disbelief, stating, “I truly can’t believe this is coming from a potential VP of The United States.” Her criticism extended beyond mere disapproval, as she pointedly addressed Vance’s stance on reproductive rights: “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,” Aniston added, directly linking his comments to broader concerns about reproductive freedom.
Ella Emhoff, Harris’s stepdaughter, also responded to Vance’s remarks via Instagram, directly challenging the “childless” label. “How can you be ‘childless’ when you have cutie pie kids like Cole and I?,” she wrote, referencing her brother Cole Emhoff. Ella Emhoff further affirmed the inclusive nature of her family, stating, “I love my three parents.” Her comments were accompanied by a statement from her mother, Kerstin Emhoff, emphasizing Kamala Harris’s long-standing role as a co-parent. Kerstin Emhoff’s statement underscored Harris’s nurturing and protective presence in their blended family, directly refuting the impersonal and dismissive tone of Vance’s “childless cat ladies” remark. This personal and familial defense further amplified the public outcry against Vance’s controversial phrasing.
