Republican VP Nominee Faces Backlash for "Childless Cat Ladies" Remark
Republican vice presidential nominee, Sen. J.D. Vance, has sparked outrage with his repeated attacks on prominent Democrats, accusing them of being "childless cat ladies" who are "miserable" and want to make the rest of the country miserable too. Vance, who has three children, has defended his comments, arguing that having children changes people’s perspectives and that Democrats have become "anti-family" in their policies and rhetoric. However, his remarks have been widely condemned by Democrats and even some Republicans, with critics arguing that Vance’s comments are sexist, offensive, and reveal a deep cultural divide within the Republican party.
Key Takeaways:
- Vance has repeatedly accused prominent female Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, of being "childless cat ladies" who are "miserable" and want to make the rest of the country miserable too.
- He argues that having children changes people’s perspectives and that Democrats have become "anti-family" in their policies and rhetoric.
- Critics have condemned Vance’s comments as sexist, offensive, and revealing a deep cultural divide within the Republican party.
- Vance’s remarks have been particularly criticized for presuming that a person’s choice to have children is tied to political ideology and for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about women.
- The issue has become a major campaign talking point, with Harris’ supporters embracing the "cat lady" label and Democrats using Vance’s comments to highlight what they see as the Republican Party’s increasing hostility towards women.
Vance Doubles Down on Controversial Comments
Vance has refused to back down from his controversial comments, arguing that they are simply an honest reflection of his beliefs. In a recent interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, he reiterated his stance that the Democratic Party has become "anti-family" and that having children changes people’s perspectives in a profound way. He defended his remarks by claiming they were made sarcastically and that he has nothing against cats.
"Obviously, it was a sarcastic comment," Vance said on the show. "I’ve got nothing against cats."
"I know the media wants to attack me and wants me to back down, Megyn, but the simple point that I made is that having children — becoming a father, becoming a mother — I really do think it changes your perspective in a pretty profound way," he continued.
"The Democrats in the past five, 10 years Megyn, they have become anti-family, it’s built into their policies, it’s built into the way they talk about parents and children, and it’s time that we called that out," he added.
A Pattern of Divisive Comments
Vance’s comments about "childless cat ladies" are not an isolated incident. He has a history of making controversial and divisive remarks, particularly when it comes to gender and family issues.
In 2021, while campaigning for the Senate seat in Ohio, Vance made similar claims about prominent Democrats, specifically referencing Kamala Harris, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Cory Booker, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"The one thing that unites every single one of them: not a single one of them has any children," Vance said during an appearance at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
"It’s something else to build a political movement, invested theoretically in the future of this country, when not a single one of them has any physical commitment to the future of this country."
He went on to make these comments on Tucker Carlson’s show, further emphasizing his "childless cat ladies" trope.
"We’re effectively run in this country, via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, 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," Vance said.
"It’s just a basic fact that if you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC, the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children."
Pushing Back Against the "Cat Lady" Stereotype
Kamala Harris has been a stepmother to her husband, Doug Emhoff’s, two children, Cole and Ella, since their marriage in 2014. While she has never had biological children, her role in the lives of Cole and Ella is undeniable.
Kerstin Emhoff, Doug’s ex-wife, has come forward to defend Harris, calling Vance’s comments "baseless" and emphasizing the loving and supportive role Harris has played in the lives of her children.
"For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I," Kerstin said in a statement to NBC News. "She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it."
Ella Emhoff, who has built a successful modeling career since supporting her mother during the 2020 presidential campaign, has also spoken out in defense of Harris.
"I love my three parents," Ella wrote in a post on Instagram. She shared a snapshot of her mother’s statement, accompanied by a caption that directly addressed Vance’s remarks.
"How can you be ‘childless’ when you have cutie pie kids like Cole and I?" Ella wrote.
A Campaign Issue and Cultural Divide
Vance’s comments have become a major campaign talking point, with Democrats using them to highlight what they see as the Republican Party’s increasing hostility towards women. The controversy has also sparked conversation about the complex and deeply personal decision of whether or not to have children.
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, which typically supports Republican candidates, has criticized Vance’s comments, suggesting that his remarks are likely to alienate voters.
"The decision to have children is intensely personal and often a matter of chance as much as choice, and the attack underscores the culturally censorious side of the GOP that alienates many voters," the Journal editorial board wrote.
"She has two stepchildren. It’s possible to stress the virtue of families and children, without sounding like moral scolds."
Vance’s "childless cat ladies" comments have ignited a firestorm of controversy and exposed a deep cultural divide within the Republican party. His remarks have been widely criticized, including by some Republicans, as sexist, offensive, and revealing a pattern of hostility towards women. While Vance has defended his remarks as simply an honest reflection of his beliefs, the controversy is likely to continue, highlighting a growing tension within the Republican party between traditional family values and the changing social landscape.
