Newly surfaced audio has once again exposed Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) making disparaging remarks about childless women, echoing his previous “childless cat ladies” comments made during an interview with Tucker Carlson. This time, however, his targets include individuals who are parents.
Vance has tried to deflect criticism by claiming his comments were meant as jokes or were not directed at those who desire but cannot have children. However, recurring video and audio clips reveal a consistent pattern where he argues that childless individuals are less invested in the country’s future and even suggests they should have fewer voting rights compared to parents.
Among his previous targets were Vice President Kamala Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Harris, who has spoken about her role as a stepmother to her husband Doug Emhoff’s children, is affectionately called “Momala” by the kids. Buttigieg, now a father of twins with his husband Chasten, was in the process of becoming a parent at the time of Vance’s comments.
Earlier this month, a 2020 podcast episode featuring Vance resurfaced, revealing his unsettling views on women and child-rearing. During a conversation about his mother-in-law taking a sabbatical to help care for his infant son, Vance agreed that postmenopausal women’s role was to care for grandchildren.
This podcast, flagged by Heartland Signal, was not the only revealing clip. Another surfaced from a 2021 Center for Christian Virtue forum, where Vance criticized Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. He expressed discomfort with Weingarten’s influence on education, stating:
“And I think our conservative idea is that parents and families should determine what children learn, what values they are brought up with. You know, it’s so many of the leaders of the left — and I hate to be so personal about this — but they’re people without kids trying to brainwash the minds of our children. And that really disorients me, and it really disturbed me. Randi Weingarten, who’s the head of the most powerful teachers’ union in the country — she doesn’t have a single child. If she wants to brainwash and destroy the minds of children, she should have some of her own and leave ours the hell alone.”
Contrary to Vance’s claims, Weingarten is a mother by marriage; her partner Rabbi Sharon Anne Kleinbaum has two daughters from a previous relationship. Weingarten’s response to criticism about her not being a biological mother highlights a broader disregard for non-biological family structures.
Vance’s comments reveal a troubling, classist attitude toward those without children, suggesting their contributions and perspectives are less valid. The notion that a childless person in the education system could “disturb” Vance underscores a narrow, exclusionary view of American society.
Numerous childless individuals have made significant contributions to society, including John Cena, who has granted more wishes to sick children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation than anyone else, and Dolly Parton, who has donated millions of books to children and supported various causes.
In contrast to the ideals enshrined in our founding documents, Vance’s perspective fails to recognize that the right to participate in society and contribute to its future is not contingent upon having children. His comments reflect an attempt to impose his personal views on others, demanding a level of scrutiny into private matters that is both invasive and un-American.
Watch the clip below:
NEW VANCE AUDIO: During a Center for Christian Virtue forum in 2021, JD Vance attacked American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten for "brainwashing" children while not having children of her own:
"So many of the leaders of the left, and I hate to be so personal… pic.twitter.com/g7fXb1ReZV
— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) August 27, 2024
