When Ella Emhoff graduated from college in 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris stood beside her, smiling proudly with her stepdaughter. Harris even officiated Cole Emhoff’s wedding in October. The Emhoff siblings affectionately call her “Momala,” a title Harris cherishes.
However, Harris’s role as a stepparent was completely dismissed in recent political attacks. In a video from a 2021 interview on Fox News’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” J.D. Vance, now the GOP vice-presidential nominee, claimed that Harris and other prominent Democrats like Pete Buttigieg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “don’t really have a direct stake” in the country’s future because they are “people without children.” This clip has been viewed over 25 million times since it was shared on social media. Since it was shared Monday on X.
Conservative voices have echoed Vance’s sentiment. Will Chamberlain, a conservative commentator, argued that a “simple, under-discussed reason why Kamala Harris shouldn’t be President” is her lack of biological children.
President Joe Biden, in response, announced his decision not to seek reelection, emphasizing his focus on his current duties. This decision has brought a wave of support for Harris from various quarters.
Many corrected these claims online: Buttigieg and his husband celebrated the birth of their twins in 2022. Past presidents like James K. Polk and James Buchanan were child-free. Even George Washington, who had no biological children, was a stepparent to his wife’s children.
Jann Blackstone, a co-parenting mediator, stresses that Harris’s relationships with her stepchildren should be respected. Blackstone, who prefers the term “bonus children” for her stepchildren, notes that stereotypes and misconceptions about stepparents are damaging. She has seen the toll these messages can take on devoted caregivers but has also witnessed the growing acceptance of blended families.
Vance’s comments felt especially jarring to Blackstone. According to a 2015 Pew Research Center report, 16 percent of American children live in blended families, and 8 percent live with a stepparent. Blackstone emphasizes that her reaction to Vance’s remarks is not about politics but about the changing family system. “We don’t need people to say, ‘You aren’t qualified to be president because you don’t have children.’ Bonus parents deserve respect as parental figures,” she asserts.
Rebecca Brodey, a stepmother, feels solidarity with Harris. “I feel so much solidarity with other stepmoms,” says Brodey, who jokingly adopted the nickname “MaBecca” from her stepchildren. Brodey acknowledges the skepticism stepparents often face and finds Harris’s recent criticism unsurprising yet frustrating.
Matthew Brake, a stepfather, has noticed growing anti-stepparent sentiments, especially in certain conservative circles. Vance’s remarks reminded him of a social media post questioning why a man would choose to raise another man’s children. Brake, who values his relationship with his stepchildren and his stepfather, finds such views contrary to Christian teachings about family and adoption. He emphasizes that caring for stepchildren shows deep concern for their future, countering Vance’s disrespectful stance.
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Tomika Anderson Greene, who has a blended family, finds the dismissal of stepparents ironic because their role demands unique courage and commitment. Greene, who refers to her stepchildren as her kids, felt recognition and fury at Harris’s criticism.
She believes such attacks wouldn’t happen if Harris were a man and attributes it to the challenges faced by Black women in public roles. Despite the criticism, Harris continues her role with dedication. As her supporters stand by her, the conversation around the validity and respect for stepparents continues to gain traction.
