Vance's Controversial Remarks on Childlessness Spark Backlash

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance has faced criticism for his history of making disparaging remarks towards individuals without children. A CNN KFile review of his comments reveals a pattern of Vance singling out Democratic leaders and others as "childless sociopaths" who "don't have a direct stake in this country." Vance's remarks have sparked widespread backlash, with the candidate later attempting to clarify his position.

Vance's Inflammatory Rhetoric Raises Concerns

Vance's "Childless Cat Lady" Comments

In November 2020, Vance made controversial comments on a conservative podcast, stating that childless Americans, particularly those in the country's "leadership class," were "more sociopathic" and "less mentally stable" than those with children. Vance also claimed that the "most deranged" and "most psychotic" commentators on Twitter were typically childless.Vance's remarks gained further attention in August 2021, when his Senate campaign sent fundraising emails referring to the "radical childless leaders in this country" following his appearance on "Tucker Carlson Tonight." During the interview, Vance had derided "childless cat ladies" and leaders running the country, sparking a widespread backlash on social media.

Vance's Attempts to Clarify His Stance

In a later interview on Megyn Kelly's podcast, Vance tried to clean up his comments, stating that his remarks were "obviously a sarcastic comment" and that he had "nothing against cats." Vance claimed that his criticism was not about people without children, but rather focused on policy and the Democratic Party's perceived "anti-family" and "anti-child" stance.

A Pattern of Disparaging Remarks

A CNN KFile analysis found several examples over the years of Vance making similarly disparaging comments about individuals without children, often while targeting Democratic officials. In September 2021, Vance tweeted that "cat ladies...must be stopped" in response to a report that a higher percentage of Americans fear having children due to climate change. In another tweet a month later, Vance wrote, "Our country's low birth rates have made many elites sociopaths."

Fundraising off Controversial Remarks

Vance's campaign also sought to capitalize on his inflammatory comments, with the candidate sending fundraising emails in August 2021 that referred to "radical childless leaders" and "childless sociopaths" who "don't have a direct stake in this country." The emails claimed that these individuals were "invested in NOTHING" and that "fighting back won't be easy" against them.

Vance's Belief in the Importance of Children

Despite the backlash, Vance has articulated his belief in the positive impact that children have on society and individual lives. In a 2019 speech, Vance explained that his views on children and society stem from observing how becoming a father can transform young men from being "driftless" to becoming "rooted" and "grounded" members of society."I care about declining fertility because I've seen the role of fatherhood, the positive role that it can play in the lives of my friends and in my community," Vance said. "I've seen young men who were relatively driftless but became rooted and grounded when they had children."Vance's comments suggest that his criticism of childlessness is rooted in a belief that children are essential for personal and societal well-being. However, his inflammatory rhetoric and targeting of specific individuals have drawn widespread criticism and raised concerns about his approach to addressing these issues.