Kerstin Emhoff defends Kamala Harris against sexist criticisms about lack of biological children

The ex-wife of second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Kerstin Emhoff, defended Vice President Kamala Harris against sexist criticisms regarding her lack of biological children. 

In a statement first provided to CNN on Wednesday, Kerstin Emhoff called the attacks “baseless” and expressed her gratitude for Harris's role in their blended family.

“These are baseless attacks. For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and me,” Kerstin Emhoff stated. “She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.”

Kerstin's remarks come after a resurfaced video of Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance criticised several public figures, including Harris, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable in their own lives” during a July 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson.

“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,” Vance said.

Harris has faced increased attacks on her race and gender since President Joe Biden announced he was dropping from the race and endorsing her. Right-wing media have criticised Harris, labelling her as a “DEI” candidate and targeting everything from her romantic history to her laugh.

In response to Vance's comments, Buttigieg, who was also criticised, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that the remarks came at a particularly difficult time. “He couldn’t have known that,” Buttigieg said, “but maybe that’s why you shouldn’t be talking about other people’s children.” Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, welcomed twins in late 2021.

Harris, who married Doug Emhoff in 2014, has embraced her role in their blended family. “The thing about blended families,” Harris told CNN in 2020, “if everyone approaches it in the way that there’s plenty of love to share, then it works.” Harris and Kerstin Emhoff have developed a close friendship, as Harris detailed in a 2019 essay in Elle, where she described their family as “almost a little too functional.”