Earlier this week, vice presidential nominee JD Vance continued his “childless cat ladies” clean-up. He appeared on several Sunday talk shows, attempting to diffuse responsibility for his views on “childless” Democrats.
In an effort to spin his offensive remarks from a 2021 interview on Fox News’s Tucker Carlson Tonight (he criticized “people without children” on the left, specifically mentioning Vice President Kamala Harris, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and United States Representative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, claiming that the party was being run by individuals who were unhappy with their own lives and choices for not having biological children. He also said that adults without children should pay higher taxes and have fewer voting rights), he spoke on ABC’s This Week, saying that his comments about giving more votes to parents was not part of his policy platform.
Donald Trump’s VP nominee JD Vance: “We are effectively run in this country…by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made. And they want to make the rest of the country miserable too.” pic.twitter.com/ButY24m091
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 16, 2024
“It’s not a policy proposal. It’s a thought experiment, right?” he said. “There are, though, policy positions behind my view that the country should become more pro-family, right?”
Vance also bashed Harris for her views on family policy.
“She has said things like it’s reasonable for people not to have children over climate change. It’s the exact opposite message we should be sending to our young families,” he told CNN. Vance was presumably referring to a moment last year when Harris said young climate leaders had talked with her about not having kids due to “climate change anxiety,” though she did not endorse the idea, according to FactCheck.org.
Rightfully so, Vance’s terrible attempts at damage control still doesn’t sit well with many people. Commenters all over the internet and media outlets continue to blast him for his unfounded statements, including some of his fellow Republicans who are expressing concern that his disparaging rhetoric is having a crippling impact on Donald Trump’s already-declining chances of winning the upcoming presidential election.
It’s no shocker that Vance’s comments don’t stand up to scrutiny. Even well-known Republican figures like Lindsey Graham and Susan Collins don’t have kids, but somehow, the VP hopeful keeps defending his remarks.
While he insists on even pleading sarcasm for his misguided declarations, at the same time, it appears he’s oblivious to how he gravely undermines an important role of millions of Americans – Republican or Democrat – in our democracy.
Vance might not realize that Republicans having more children is just a stereotype.
According to a report by Fiscal Note, Republican members of Congress tend to have more children than their Democratic counterparts, with an average of 2.7 children compared to 1.8 among Democrats. However, there are various factors that contribute to these numbers.
For example, there are fewer Republican women in Congress than Democratic women, and women in demanding careers often have fewer children due to the predominant responsibility of child-rearing falling on them.
It’s also important to note that when you take a look at the number of children that Republican women in Congress have, it drops to 2.25. And among Republican women in Congress who are 45 years old or younger, the average number of children is even lower, at 1.3.
These statistics might actually suggest that the number of children legislators have are more in alignment with broader societal trends and personal choices, rather than a strict commitment to party lines.
“That’s not what I said.” JD Vance blames critics of his “childless cat lady” comments, saying they “aggressively lied about what I’ve said”. He’s weird. (Video: Fox News) pic.twitter.com/BMCRDG7OXn
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) July 29, 2024
It’s possible JD doesn’t understand that some people simply choose not to have children.
Things are changing when it comes to having kids. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, there’s less stigma attached to the decision to not have biological children, and the reasons are a combination of bigger concerns.
- Not wanting to (57%)
- Focusing on career (44%)
- Concerns about the state of the world (38%)
- Financial constraints (36%)
- Environmental concerns (26%)
Considering this data, if Vance and other Republicans are so worried about the decreasing birth rates, then perhaps they could support more policies that tackle these concerns, like backing climate change initiatives and offering more financial assistance to parents.
It seems he doesn’t recognize the concept of Generativity also.
On the surface, it’s easy to see that Vance’s claim about people without biological children not having a stake in the country’s future is sadly off-base. However, his wildly ignorant and potentially dangerous narrative runs much deeper.
In the field of developmental psychology, there’s a concept called generativity, which pertains to adults focusing on making a positive impact on others and feeling fulfilled, whether they have biological children or not. It involves the need and desire to help younger generations thrive and flourish, making sure they keep going strong in the long run.
Generativity is also about caring for others beyond just ourselves and our own family. It includes feeling an urge to support and mentor the younger people of society, being both a guide and a nurturer all rolled into one.
Experts say that generativity and parental influence go beyond biological connections, as demonstrated by the real-life examples Vance tries to undercut. For instance, Kamala Harris has embraced the role of step-parent to two adult children, Ella and Cole. Alongside her husband, Doug Emhoff, and the children’s biological mom, Kerstin Emhoff, Harris has played an integral part in their upbringing. It’s heartening to see both Kerstin and Ella publicly expressing their unwavering support for Harris’s parenting efforts.
Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten have chosen to expand their family through adoption, welcoming twins, August “Gus” and Penelope Rose in 2021. Additionally, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez passionately advocates for K-12 public schools and believes in the importance of affordable education. Her dedication to ensuring free tuition for public college students highlights her commitment to creating equal opportunities for all, including young people.
We deserve high-quality early childhood education for all families, tuition-free public college for all students, and thriving post-graduate careers without the burden of student debt. We can win it when we fight for each other.
— Team AOC (@TeamAOC) May 14, 2024
Vote for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on June 25th. pic.twitter.com/v8qMuSLEHX
Even without children, generativity proves that individuals can still discover nurturing relationships and fulfillment in life. In addition to welcoming bonus children through marriage and adoption or getting involved in your community, achieving professional milestones and being a mentor are just a few of the various avenues where we can attain strong personal bonds and find true meaning in life if we want them. It appears that Vance has failed to recognize that having children is not the sole or superior path to a gratifying existence. In fact, there’s no evidence to even support that idea.
In the end, healthy, supportive relationships in any form are what truly matter. According to Harvard’s 75-year study on health and happiness, they play a vital role in our well-being.
While our biological family can be a great source of connection, it’s not the only option.
Friends, community, chosen family, and even pets can also fulfill our need for connection in incredibly satisfying ways.
