An old comment by Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance — in which he said childless women are less fit to govern — has sparked sharp criticism, with the latest comment coming from actress Jennifer Aniston.
Vance, during a 2021 interview, referred to now-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, among others, and said that those who don’t have children, particularly “childless women,” have no “direct stake” in the country.
Speaking to Tucker Carlson on Fox News, she said the US was being run by “a bunch of childless women who are unhappy with their lives and the decisions they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country unhappy.”
“This is a basic fact. You look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC; the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people with no children. And how does that make sense that we’ve handed our country over to people who really have no direct stake in it?” Vance was heard saying in the resurfaced clip.
Kamala Harris has two stepchildren, Cole and Ella, from her husband Doug Emhoff and his first wife, Kerstin Emhoff.
Vance’s comments have sparked allegations of gender discrimination ahead of the US presidential election, which was being touted as a win for Republicans but President Joe Biden withdrew from the race.
Alluding to her infertility, which she has been vocal about in the past, Ms Aniston shared a screenshot of the clip on Instagram Stories and said she could not believe it was being said by a potential US vice president.
In her post, Ms Aniston wrote, “All I can say is… Mr Vance, I pray your daughter is lucky enough to have children of her own one day. I hope she doesn’t have to resort to IVF as a second option. Because you’re trying to take that away from her too.”
Kamala Harris’ lack of biological children is considered an issue by Republicans, but she has received support from politicians, celebrities, and her own family. Her supporters also pointed out that no US president has ever physically given birth, as all have been men.
Kerstin Emhoff, the mother of Harris’ stepchildren, called the attacks on the vice president “baseless” in a statement to CNN.
“For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and me. I love our blended family and am grateful she is a part of it,” he said.
“I love all three of my parents. How can you be ‘childless’ when you have cute kids like Cole and me,” Ella, 25, wrote on Instagram.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told MSNBC, “It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. Oh my God, they’re after the ‘cat people,’ good luck with that.”
“Now, what the fuck?” asked talk show host Whoopi Goldberg.
