US Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Vance
Past Remarks on Fox News Spread on Social Media
J.D. Vance, the Republican vice-presidential candidate and U.S. Senator, is facing backlash over past remarks targeting Vice President Kamala Harris and others, local media including Axios reported on the 25th (local time).
The controversial remarks were made by Senator Vance during an appearance on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" in July 2021. In the interview, Vance referred to Vice President Harris and several other Democratic figures as "childless cat ladies who are miserable," saying "they have no direct stake in the future of the country." Vice President Harris is known to be raising two children from her husband's previous marriage.
A photo of J.D. Vance, the Republican Vice Presidential candidate and U.S. Senator, who appeared on Fox News in 2021 [Photo by X capture]
The video quickly spread on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and has now surpassed 28.6 million views. Criticism also poured in from female top stars. Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel in the popular sitcom "Friends," criticized on Instagram, saying, "I can't believe someone who could become the Vice President of the United States would say something like this," and added, "I pray your (Vance's) daughter is lucky enough someday to have children on her own." Aniston has previously revealed in interviews that she struggled with infertility and underwent procedures like in vitro fertilization.
Hollywood veteran actress Whoopi Goldberg also criticized Vance on her show the day before, stating, "There are people who decide not to have children for any reason, and there are people who want children but cannot have them," and added, "The child was born to your wife, and you know nothing."
Criticism against Senator Vance has even drawn in fans of pop star Taylor Swift, who is currently at the peak of her popularity. Although Swift has never been married, she is known as a woman living alone with three cats. On TikTok, a video gained attention showing a composite image of Swift riding on the back of a giant cat, accompanied by the phrase "Childless cat ladies going to the polls in November to vote for Harris."
The Washington Post (WP) analyzed, "The intense reaction to Vance's remarks clearly shows that issues related to women's reproductive rights, such as abortion, contraception, and in vitro fertilization, will be a major driving force in this election." According to a report released that day by the bipartisan think tank Pew Research Center, 47% of adults under 50 in the U.S. without children said they are unlikely to have children. This figure has increased by 10 percentage points since 2018. Additionally, 64% of young women who currently have no children and do not plan to have any in the future responded that they simply do not want children.
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