JD Vance, a running mate of former US President Donald Trump, has defended his 2021 remarks in which he called Democratic politicians a “bunch of childless women with miserable lives.”
“Obviously, it was a sarcastic comment. I have nothing against cats. People are focusing so much on the sarcasm that they’re not paying attention to the substance of what I said,” J.D. Vance said during an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show on Friday.
“The simple thing I say is, having kids, becoming a father, becoming a mother, I truly believe it changes your perspective in a very profound way,” he said on The Megyn Kelly Show.
He said, “This isn’t about criticizing people who don’t have children for various reasons. It’s about criticizing the Democratic Party for becoming anti-family and anti-child.”
J.D. Vance, during a 2021 interview, mentioned now-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, among others, and said that those who don’t have children, especially “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.”
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.
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.
Vance, 39, was called in by Trump just days after a failed assassination attempt on the former president worsened an already chaotic presidential election.