Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance made the case for a pro-family platform in a series of television interviews on Sunday, after rhetoric about “childless Catwoman” continued to dominate the first month of the campaign.
In interviews with CNN, CBS and ABC, Vance argued that his comments about the Democratic Party being run by “childless catwomen” were misconstrued and that the Democratic Party itself makes anti-child, anti-family statements.
Carlson made the now-viral comment during an interview on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” while running for the Ohio Senate in 2021. The comment has since become a Democratic slogan.
Shifting his response to tout policies for American families, he said he supports several policies that have been pillars of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign.
President Trump’s Education Policy #47:Lifetime employment for teachers, universal school choice, and the abolition of patriotism
JD Vance: America is run by ‘childless, cat-loving women’
In a 2021 interview, Carlson welcomed Vance onto his show and asked him to explain his stance on what he had previously called the “childfree left.”
“This country is essentially run by childless catwomen who are unhappy with their lives and the choices they’ve made, so they want the rest of the country to be unhappy too,” Vance responded. “It’s just a basic fact. If you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC, the future of the Democratic Party is entirely controlled by childfree people.”
(Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, have two stepchildren.)
In the interview, Vance argued that people with children have a “direct stake” in the country’s future and therefore deserve more votes and support.
Vance dismisses some of his 2021 comments as “thought experiments”
Governor Vance said Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week” that giving parents more voting rights was not part of his policy platform.
“This is not a policy proposal. It’s a thought experiment, right?,” Vance said. “But there is a policy position behind my belief that the country should be more family-oriented, right?”
During the interview, Vance also spoke about the large unexpected medical bills he received when his wife gave birth to their second child, and argued for an end to surprise medical bills for birth-related care.
He also repeatedly criticized Harris’ stance on family policy on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Dana Bash, citing school closures and mask mandates for children during the COVID-19 pandemic as examples of anti-family policies.
“She’s suggesting that climate change is a reason not to have children, which is the exact opposite of the message we should be sending to young families,” Vance told CNN, presumably referring to when Harris said young climate leaders had spoken to her last year. Not having children due to “climate change fears” However, according to FactCheck.org, she did not explicitly endorse the idea.
Vance calls for family economic aid policy that mirrors Harris’ campaign pledges
In defending his 2021 comments, Vance reiterated his calls for expanding the child care tax credit and making housing more affordable for families.
“I want to expand the child tax credit, eliminate surprise medical bills and make housing more affordable,” he told CNN.
When asked if he agreed with President Joe Biden’s administration on the child care tax credit, he said the credit should be larger and blamed Democrats for failing to get it done. On CBS’ “Face the Nation,” he called for a $5,000 credit per child. It was rejected by the Senate last week. The move comes as Republicans have raised concerns about the bill. Vance sat out the vote, and CBS’ Margaret Brennan noted that it’s a bill about messaging.
Vance also said he wants to ensure that everyone has access to child care.
Harris has emphasized supporting the middle class as a key part of her campaign, advocating for affordable housing, affordable health care, affordable child care and paid leave. USA Today has reached out to Vance’s campaign for comment.
