- Wife defends Vance for a "cat women" comment.
The vice-presidential candidate of the US Republicans, J.D. Vance, is receiving support from his wife after past remarks have caught up with him. Usha Vance told the conservative news channel Fox News that her husband's comments about "childless cat-lady" women from 2021 should be understood in context. She described his language as a "joke" and said he meant to express "how hard it can be for parents in this country and that there are laws that make it even harder".
Presidential candidate Donald Trump introduced Vance as his running mate at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in mid-July. Shortly after, the 40-year-old came under fire, among other things, for his sexist remarks about childless women.
Vance made the "childless cat-lady" remark multiple times
In an interview in 2021, the father of three referred to leading Democratic politicians – including Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now running for the White House herself – as "childless cat-lady" women who were unsatisfied with their lives. The clip from back then resurfaced after his rise to Trump's running mate and spread quickly. It was not his only remark in that vein. His stance that childless people should have less say in a democracy has been expressed in various forms, which has not gone down well with many Americans.
Partners, often wives, frequently serve as proof of the human, empathetic side of candidates in the US election campaign. Usha Vance fulfilled this role at the Republican National Convention with a speech in front of tens of thousands of spectators, painting a picture of an approachable husband.
Usha Vance, being the wife of the vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance, defended him against accusations of sexism after his derogatory remarks about childless women. In the same convention, she showcased his empathetic side, presenting him as an approachable family man to the crowd.
