Guest Post by Miriam Judith
Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance recently faced criticism from actress Jennifer Aniston following comments he made in 2021 about “childless cat ladies” in politics. Vance defended these remarks during a Friday appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, where he addressed the backlash and clarified his position.
In his 2021 comments, Vance criticized political leaders without children, suggesting that they lack a direct stake in the future of the country because they are disconnected from the needs of families and children.
Vance’s remarks, which labeled these leaders as “childless cat ladies,” were meant to highlight what he perceived as a broader disconnect between certain politicians and the interests of American families.
Jennifer Aniston responded sharply to Vance’s comments. “Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day,” she said. “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.” Aniston’s statement implied that Vance’s stance could negatively impact fertility treatments and have broader reproductive implications.
In response, Vance characterized Aniston’s comments as “disgusting” while defending his position on his daughter’s behalf. “That’s disgusting because my daughter is two years old,” Vance said. He further clarified, “If she had fertility problems, I would try everything I could to help her because I believe families and babies are a good thing.”
The controversy surrounding Vance’s remarks reignited as the footage from his 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News resurfaced. In that interview, Vance criticized childless women in positions of power, suggesting they are less invested in the country’s future. He stated, “We are effectively run, in this country, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable in their own lives and want to make the rest of the country miserable too.”
Vance’s remarks specifically targeted Democratic figures like Kamala Harris, whom he argued was emblematic of a broader trend of leaders without children shaping national policies. “You look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC; the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children,” Vance said. “How does it make any sense that we have turned our country over to people that don’t have any stake in it?”
In light of the backlash, Vance attempted to downplay the impact of his comments. “It was a sarcastic comment,” he said. “I’ve got nothing against cats or dogs. People are focusing on the sarcasm and not on the substance of what I actually said. ”Vance suggested that the real issue was the broader implications of policies that he believes are not supportive of families.
Vance’s comments and the resulting controversy come at a time when some Republicans are reportedly questioning his suitability as a vice-presidential pick. ‘Conservative’ commentator Ben Shapiro remarked, “If you had a time machine – if you go back two weeks, would [Trump] have picked JD Vance again? I doubt it.” Despite this, Vance continues to defend his position, arguing that his focus on family values and criticism of current policies reflects a deeper concern about the direction of the country.
