Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday night criticized Kamala Harris for not having children of her own, an insult that comes after pop star Taylor Swift joined the brigade of childless cat ladies supporting the Democratic nominee.
The Arkansas governor, speaking to a crowd in Detroit ahead of a town hall with Donald Trump, said “the most important job I have; the greatest title I have is being a mother.”
“My children are a constant reminder of what is at stake in this country,” said Huckabee, who has three children.
“My children not only constantly remind me of what’s important, but they also keep me humble,” he added. “My children keep me humble. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris has nothing to keep her humble.”
Harris has no biological children, but is a stepmother to her husband Doug Emhoff’s two children, Ella and Cole, from his previous marriage. The children call her “Momala” and she and Emhoff have a good relationship with Emhoff’s ex-wife when it comes to their blended family.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders: “My kids keep me humble. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris has nothing to keep her humble.”
The status of Harris’ family came back into the spotlight after Trump named JD Vance as his running mate and an old 2021 interview resurfaced in which Vance lamented that the US was being run by “childless cat ladies” like Harris — women he said had “no direct interest” in the country’s future.
Several women were outraged and formed groups calling themselves “childless cat ladies” for Harris.
Christine Pelosi, a political consultant and daughter of Nancy Pelosi, and Nikki Fried, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, organized a large Zoom meeting of “cat ladies” for Harris.
Women rushed to Harris’ defense, including the mother of his stepchildren.
“For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has co-parented with Doug and me,” Kerstin Emhoff said in a statement.
“She is loving, protective and always there. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.”
Ella Emhoff also defended her stepmother, writing in an Instagram post: “How can you not have kids when you have such adorable kids like Cole and I?”
Harris married Emhoff in 2014, when Cole and Ella were teenagers.
Swift, who has no children but three cats, joined their ranks last week when she announced her support for Harris. She included in her announcement a photo of herself and her ragdoll cat Benjamin Button. She signed it “Childless Cat Lady.”
In her post, she also urged her millions of fans to register to vote.
She noted that ‘I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for rights and causes that I believe need a warrior to champion. I think she’s a talented and steady leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we’re guided by calm and not chaos. I was very encouraged and impressed by her choice of running mate @timwalz who has been championing LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.’
“I’ve done my research and I’ve made my decision. The research is all yours and the choice is yours. I also want to say, especially to first-time voters: remember that in order to vote, you must be registered! I also find it much easier to vote early. In my story I’ll give you links to places to register and find dates and information for voting early,” she wrote.
In return, Vance called Swift “fundamentally out of touch.”
“We admire Taylor Swift’s music, but I don’t think most Americans, whether they like her music or are fans of her or not, are going to be influenced by a multimillionaire celebrity,” he told Fox News.
Kamala Harris is a stepmother to two children from her husband Doug Emhoff’s first marriage, they call her ‘momala’
Taylor Swift called herself a ‘childless cat lady’ as she endorsed Kamala Harris
Pets have played an unusual role in this year’s election. Vance also spread a false rumor that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, were eating neighbors’ pets.
Trump repeated the accusation last week in his debate with Harris.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people who came here are eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people who live there,” Trump said.
The city has had to deal with bomb threats as a result of the incident.
Even President Joe Biden weighed in on the matter, calling Trump’s accusation racist against immigrants.