Sarah Huckabee Sanders Criticizes Kamala Harris for Lacking Biological Children
One of Trump's senior campaign advisers described the remark as "offensive."
TroibNews 
Reigniting discussions around the "childless cat lady" stereotype in connection with Donald Trump's campaign, a prominent ally targeted Kamala Harris on Tuesday due to her choice not to have biological children.
During a town hall event she hosted for Trump in Flint, Michigan, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders recounted her daughter's innocent remarks about Sanders’ appearance, sharing, “my kids keep me humble.”
“Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn’t have anything keeping her humble,” Sanders stated.
This comment appeared to reference Harris' lack of biological children; however, Harris is a stepmother to two children from her husband, Doug Emhoff. His family, including his ex-wife, has praised Harris for her active role in their children's lives.
Joining in the criticism of Sanders’ remark was Bryan Lanza, a senior adviser to Trump, who expressed his disapproval on CNN following the town hall. “I found that comment to be actually offensive. I don’t know what more to say about that,” Lanza remarked. “I’m disappointed in Sarah saying that. I’m sure I’m going to get criticism from the campaign, but I have to sort of defend somebody who’s a stepmom. It’s a tough job. People step into that role.”
Sanders' comment marks the latest instance of Trump's allies, who have historically struggled to connect with women voters, seemingly disparaging those without children. Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, also faced backlash for comments made during a 2021 Fox News interview, in which he lamented that the country was led by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”
Vance has come under scrutiny for previous statements as well, such as calling for parents to receive extra votes for each child they have.
In response to the uproar, Sam Dubke, a spokesperson for Sanders, clarified that the governor's remarks were aimed at Harris’ policy stances. “Vice President Harris, without winning any votes, and after driving up prices by 20% and allowing nearly ten million illegal border crossings, is claiming she alone can solve America’s problems,” Dubke noted in a statement to PMG. “That’s the lack of humility Governor Sanders was referencing.”
Trump has made efforts to defend Vance while also expressing support for individuals without children. At the National Association of Black Journalists event in July, he suggested that some “people without the family are far better — they’re superior in many cases.” As he competes closely with Harris for a limited pool of undecided and independent voters in crucial battleground states, Trump has also attempted to position the GOP as the champion of family rights, advocating for access to in vitro fertilization. On Tuesday, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bill aimed at expanding IVF access.
Meanwhile, Democrats have capitalized on Vance’s remarks since he became the vice presidential nominee, transforming the “childless cat lady” trope into a rallying cry for women supporting Harris, reminiscent of the “nasty woman” label utilized by Hillary Clinton’s supporters in 2016. Taylor Swift even dubbed herself “Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady” in her Instagram endorsement of Harris, accompanied by a photo with her cat.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a town hall event she hosted for Trump in Flint, Michigan, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders recounted her daughter's innocent remarks about Sanders’ appearance, sharing, “my kids keep me humble.”
“Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn’t have anything keeping her humble,” Sanders stated.
This comment appeared to reference Harris' lack of biological children; however, Harris is a stepmother to two children from her husband, Doug Emhoff. His family, including his ex-wife, has praised Harris for her active role in their children's lives.
Joining in the criticism of Sanders’ remark was Bryan Lanza, a senior adviser to Trump, who expressed his disapproval on CNN following the town hall. “I found that comment to be actually offensive. I don’t know what more to say about that,” Lanza remarked. “I’m disappointed in Sarah saying that. I’m sure I’m going to get criticism from the campaign, but I have to sort of defend somebody who’s a stepmom. It’s a tough job. People step into that role.”
Sanders' comment marks the latest instance of Trump's allies, who have historically struggled to connect with women voters, seemingly disparaging those without children. Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, also faced backlash for comments made during a 2021 Fox News interview, in which he lamented that the country was led by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”
Vance has come under scrutiny for previous statements as well, such as calling for parents to receive extra votes for each child they have.
In response to the uproar, Sam Dubke, a spokesperson for Sanders, clarified that the governor's remarks were aimed at Harris’ policy stances. “Vice President Harris, without winning any votes, and after driving up prices by 20% and allowing nearly ten million illegal border crossings, is claiming she alone can solve America’s problems,” Dubke noted in a statement to PMG. “That’s the lack of humility Governor Sanders was referencing.”
Trump has made efforts to defend Vance while also expressing support for individuals without children. At the National Association of Black Journalists event in July, he suggested that some “people without the family are far better — they’re superior in many cases.” As he competes closely with Harris for a limited pool of undecided and independent voters in crucial battleground states, Trump has also attempted to position the GOP as the champion of family rights, advocating for access to in vitro fertilization. On Tuesday, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bill aimed at expanding IVF access.
Meanwhile, Democrats have capitalized on Vance’s remarks since he became the vice presidential nominee, transforming the “childless cat lady” trope into a rallying cry for women supporting Harris, reminiscent of the “nasty woman” label utilized by Hillary Clinton’s supporters in 2016. Taylor Swift even dubbed herself “Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady” in her Instagram endorsement of Harris, accompanied by a photo with her cat.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
