Republican Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance believes people are taking his "childless cat lady" description of Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democratic politicians out of context.
In a resurfaced Fox News interview, Vance says people who aren't parents have no stake in the nation's future.
"We're effectively run in this country via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made," Vance said in 2021. "So they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too. And it's just a basic fact. You look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC, the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children."
The comment has faced widespread criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
Speaking on the "Megyn Kelly Show" on Friday, Vance said he was being sarcastic when trying to make a broader point.
"The simple point that I made is that having children, becoming a father, becoming a mother, I really do think it changes your perspective in a profound way," he said.
Vance went on to say his comments were meant as a criticism of the Democratic Party, which he insists is "anti-family and "anti-kid."
No matter what he intended, the comments struck a nerve with many women across the country.
Harris' stepdaughter responded to the attack, saying she loves her three parents.
Actress Jennifer Aniston, who has publicly documented her struggles to get pregnant, also responded to Vance's comments.
"Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day,” Aniston wrote. “I hope she will not need to turn to IVF as a second option, because you are trying to take that away from her, too.”
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In the interview with Kelly, Vance clarified that he is not against IVF, but noted it cannot come at the expense of religious liberty.
The number of adults under 50 who say they're unlikely to have children is quickly growing. According to data from Pew Research, 47% of adults under age 50 said in 2023 that it's unlikely they will have children. In 2018, a lesser 37% said it's unlikely they'll have children.
The top reason for not having kids among adults younger than 50 is that they just don’t want to. However, some cite the inability to conceive or financial difficulties as reasons for not having children.
"We've been programmed as women to think we can have it all, but biology does not keep up with that fact," said pop culture expert Amy Palmer. "JD Vance can say whatever he wants, but half of the population does not have children. So he is alienating a very important base who is going to be activated by this rhetoric that doesn't even make any sense."
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Palmer suggested that Vance's past comments could even cause Republicans to lose support from fans of pop star Taylor Swift.
"Let's not forget one of the most famous women in the world is Taylor Swift, who is the most powerful cat lady, childless, not married, she's on the cover of Time magazine," Palmer said. "She is like the epicenter of this conversation in terms of what young women look at in terms of empowerment. So basically, the Republican Party is looking at where women are today, and they're saying, 'You guys, you know what? You don't have a voice. You're not powerful. We don't care about you because you don't have children."
