Kamala Harris’ Family Defends Against JD Vance’s ‘Childless’ Remark

Vice President Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter has responded to JD Vance’s description of Harris as a “childless cat lady.” Ms. Harris is married to Douglas Emhoff, who has two children who reportedly refer to her as “Momala.” Ella Emhoff took to social media to say she has been Harris’s stepdaughter for more than ten years and described her as “loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present.”

Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who also faced accusations from Vance that he did not truly care about the country’s future because he had no children, also hit back and suggested that Vance not “comment on other people’s children.” He noted his long and “heartbreaking” journey to adopt two children with his husband.

Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has come under attack for statements he made while speaking with Tucker Carlson in 2021. He named Harris, Buttigieg, and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and said they had no direct investment in America’s future because they had no children. He said America was run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made.”

Hillary Clinton posted a clip of the exchange to Twitter and said Vance “certainly” doesn’t believe in personal freedoms. A-list celebrity Jennifer Aniston also lashed out at Vance, recounting her own struggle to conceive and accusing Trump’s running mate of cutting off options for families who need to use In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Aniston said she hopes Vance’s daughter does not need IVF “Because you are trying to take that away from her too.”

Mr. Vance has previously voted against measures that would have expanded access to IVF and other fertility treatments.

The Trump campaign replied to the controversy, saying Mr. Vance’s comments had been taken out of context. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said her heart breaks for people unable to conceive naturally and that Vance’s remarks did not “target” those individuals.

The Vice President has declined to comment.