WASHINGTON: Republican candidate for vice president in the US, JD Vance, is learning the hard way that the Internet loves not only cats, but also childless female cats. Most recently, comments surfaced in which he claimed that people without children are less fit to govern.
In a 2021 clip, Vance singled out Kamala Harris, now the Democratic presidential candidate, among others, telling Fox News that those who did not reproduce, especially “childless cat ladies,” were “pathetic” and had no “direct stake” in the life of this country.
The comments sparked a storm of scorn and accusations that the father of three represented an out-of-touch, sexist Republican mindset that had no place in today's world.
“It would be funny if it wasn't so sad,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told MSNBC, adding, “My God, they're after 'cat people,' good luck with that!”
If Harris, who has two stepchildren, defeats former Republican President Donald Trump in November's election, she would not only be the first female president but also the first woman of black and Asian descent, which would expose her to a range of attacks on demographic grounds.
While several Republicans denounced the lack of biological children as a problem, her online fans in the “KHive” resisted – with memes, outrage and supportive posts, including from celebrities, politicians and members of her own family.
An outraged Jennifer Aniston pointed to her own infertility, which the actress has spoken openly about in the past, while comedian and talk show host Whoopi Goldberg asked, “So what the hell is that about?”
The clip, which resurfaced in 2021, shows Vance, then a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Ohio, telling Fox's Tucker Carlson that the United States is run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are unhappy with their own lives and the choices they've made and therefore want to make the rest of the country unhappy, too.”
“It's just a basic fact – look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC – the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children,” Vance said.
“And what is the point of leaving our country to people who have no direct stake in it?”
Buttigieg, who is U.S. transportation secretary and adopted two children that same year, told CNN the comments were hurtful because he had suffered an adoption setback at the time.
“He couldn't have known that, but maybe that's why you shouldn't talk about other people's children,” Buttigieg said.
Harris has two stepchildren, Cole and Ella, from her husband Doug Emhoff and his first wife.
Her mother, Kerstin Emhoff, said in a statement to CNN that the attacks on Harris were “unfounded.”
“For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been the mother of our child, along with Doug and me,” she said.
“I love our blended family and am grateful to have them in my life.”
Meanwhile, 25-year-old Ella, whom Harris calls “Momala,” wrote on Instagram: “I love my three parents.”
“How can you be 'childless' when you have such cute kids like Cole and I?”
Harris' supporters were quick to point out that no US president has ever given birth to a child, as they are all men. A few have also never fathered any children.
The most important among them was George Washington, the first President of the United States, who, like Harris, helped raise his wife's children from a previous marriage.
Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Republican Senator John McCain, warned that Vance's comments “activate women on all sides, including my most conservative Trump-supporting friends.”
The focus on politicians' children comes at a time when reproductive health and access to abortion – issues Harris has championed – are at the heart of this year's election.
“Political leaders should have children. At the very least, they should be married,” venture capitalist and Trump-backed former congressional candidate Blake Masters wrote on X.
“If you cannot manage or run your own household, how can you manage a group of families or govern wisely with regard to future generations?” he asked.
In a 2021 speech, Vance even went so far as to suggest that people with children should have more voting rights.
“When you vote as a parent in this country, you should have more power,” he said in quotes gleaned by The Washington Post, adding: “If you're not as invested in the future of this country, maybe you shouldn't have nearly as much say.”
Vance's campaign team has since dismissed the comments as a “thought experiment.”
