Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders used a humorous anecdote to praise the virtue of humility in politics when introducing former President Donald J. Trump at a town hall gathering in Michigan on Tuesday: During a father-daughter dance, her daughter comforted her by saying, “It’s OK, Mommy, one day you can be pretty too.” This incident brought tears to her eyes.
“So my kids keep me humble,” Ms. Sanders stated; she continued. “Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn’t have anything keeping her humble,” she continued, her pronunciation of Vice President Kamala Harris a bit off.
Ms. Harris has two stepchildren, but the comment was widely taken as a reference to the fact that she does not have any biological children. A senior adviser to the Trump campaign, Bryan Lanza, was among those who criticized Ms. Sanders’s statement, which came from a surrogate for a campaign whose vice-presidential nominee, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has been criticized for referring to Democratic leadership as “childless cat ladies.” The criticism came from both Democrats and Republicans.
On CNN, Mr. Lanza expressed his disappointment with Sarah and claimed the comment was “actually offensive.”
American Bridge 21st Century, Young Democrats of America, Republican Voters Against Trump, and other Democratic-aligned groups brought attention to the comment on social media. Even TV pundits did it.
Mika Brzezinski exclaimed on Wednesday’s “Morning Joe” on MSNBC. “Why are they so preoccupied with women who are childless despite their biological link?”
The request for comment was not promptly responded to by a spokesman for Ms. Sanders. Neither did the campaign of Ms. Harris.
The mother of Ms. Harris’s stepchildren and the ex-wife of Doug Emhoff, who was Ms. Harris’s spouse, Kerstin Emhoff, spoke out in her defense.
She wrote of her children, “Cole and Ella keep us inspired to make the world a better place,” in a social media post. Storytelling is how I accomplish it. Throughout her professional life, Kamala Harris has advocated for the common good and every family. You remain rather modest as a result.
When asked about parenting, Mr. Vance has previously raised an eyebrow. In 2021, he said that perhaps parents “should have more of an ability to speak your voice in our democratic republic than people who don’t have kids,” a suggestion that he later said was a “thought experiment” and not serious.
While continuing to label Democrats as “anti-family,” he has clarified that he was not criticizing childless women.
Among Ms. Harris’s fans, his comment about “childless cat ladies” has taken on a cultural significance. Last week, Taylor Swift used it to close her endorsement of Ms. Harris, which shows that it is still relevant.
