Vance's Controversial Rhetoric: Examining the Divisive Rhetoric of the Republican Vice Presidential Nominee

When former President Donald Trump sat down with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, he dismissed the criticisms surrounding his running mate, Senator JD Vance, and his comments about Americans without children. However, a closer examination of Vance's rhetoric reveals a concerning pattern of divisive and disparaging remarks towards those who have chosen not to have biological children.

Uncovering a Troubling Pattern of Rhetoric

The "Childless Cat Ladies" Controversy

During his first campaign for elected office three years ago, Vance appeared on Fox News and made a controversial statement, describing the country as being "run by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too." This rhetoric, which specifically targeted Vice President Kamala Harris, who has step-children but no biological children, generated significant backlash and criticism.Vance's attempt to walk back his comments by claiming they were "sarcastic" did little to alleviate the concerns raised by his rhetoric. In fact, a closer examination of his record reveals a consistent pattern of disparaging remarks towards individuals without biological children.

Doubling Down on the Underlying Message

In a separate media appearance, Vance tried to defend his previous comments by arguing that Harris had called for "an end to the child tax credit," which was not true. This further underscored the Republican nominee's willingness to double down on his underlying message, rather than acknowledge the divisive nature of his rhetoric.

A History of Disparaging Remarks

A CNN KFile review of Vance's comments revealed a long-standing pattern of making disparaging remarks towards people without children. As recently as November 2020, Vance stated on a podcast that childless Americans, especially those in the country's "leadership class," were "more sociopathic" than those with children and made the country "less mentally stable." He also claimed that the "most deranged" and "most psychotic" people he sees on social media were typically childless.

Fundraising off Controversial Rhetoric

The report also uncovered that Vance had fundraised off his "childless cat lady" remarks, sending out a series of emails that referred to Democratic leaders as "childless sociopaths" who "don't have a direct stake in this country."

Expanding the Criticism to the "Childless Left"

Vance's rhetoric has not been limited to individual targets, as he has also lashed out at the "childless left" more broadly. In a Breitbart news interview, the Ohio Republican claimed that the left's "next generation leaders," including "the Kamala Harrises, they don't have kids. And so there's this weird way where they want to take our kids and brainwash them so that their ideas continue to exist in the next generation."

Suggesting Voting Rights and Tax Policies Should Favor Parents

The reporting also uncovered Vance's suggestions that parents should have greater voting rights than Americans without children, and that federal tax policies should "punish" those without children for their "bad" choices.

Blaming Childless Journalists for Unflattering Coverage

In a speech uncovered by Mother Jones' David Corn, Vance claimed that he receives unflattering media coverage because he thinks most journalists are "childless adults."

Trump's Defense of Vance's Rhetoric

Despite the overwhelming evidence of Vance's divisive rhetoric, Trump has insisted that the Republican nominee is "not against" those without biological kids of their own. The former president has urged the public to "listen to his words" to understand Vance's true beliefs. However, a closer examination of Vance's words and actions suggests a concerning pattern of disparaging and exclusionary rhetoric towards a significant segment of the American population.