Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance’s “childless cats” comment about Kamala Harris has angered many. Several people have criticized it, including Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff and actress Jennifer Aniston.
Now, a group of pet lovers who call themselves “cat ladies” have responded to Vance’s comments by supporting Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. They made the call, the latest in a series of Zoom calls.
J.D. Vance’s original comment, made during a 2021 interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, stated that America is run by Democrats, “a bunch of childless women who are unhappy with their lives and the choices they’ve made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”
A virtual meeting of prominent Democrats was held on Tuesday, hosted by Christine Pelosi and Nikki Fried, to condemn sexist comments by J.D. Vance. The Zoom call featured several participants, including former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile and Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who appeared with her dogs.
The meeting, organised by the group Pet Lovers fur Kamala, began with a slideshow of photos of pets set to ABBA’s Dancing Queen, and also made a surprise appearance by Nancy Pelosi.
According to the Guardian, Pelosi spoke of the importance of supporting women’s freedom “to love the way they want to, and to live the way they want to.” She criticized Vance’s comments, and said that “cat women are striking back,” adding, “They didn’t realize what an opportunity they were giving us, and what they would gain.”
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried warned that Harris’s defeat would lead to extremist policies across the country, citing her experience with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “We’ve been living under Project 2025. We’ve been lab rats for the Heritage Foundation,” she said.
Christine Pelosi and organizers offered tips on how to engage supporters through social media, phone banks and volunteering for Kamala Harris’ campaign.
Last week, J.D. Vance defended his “childless cat ladies” comment, saying that he meant to criticize the Democratic Party’s stance on family and children, not criticize individuals who don’t want to have children.