Vice President JD Vance admitted his controversial "childless cat ladies" comment was "dumb" phrasing that distracted from his message to American families.Speaking on the "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" podcast, Vance revealed the impact the insult had and the message he was actually trying to convey with it."I mean, it was dumb, because it offended so many people they didn't actually listen to the point," Vance said."The point that I was making is like, when a politician, a political leader, when a media figure speaks, you're trying to illuminate and trying to make people think.It pissed so many people off that it turned off the thinking part of their brain," he added.JD VANCE WALKS BACK CONTROVERSIAL ‘CHILDLESS CAT LADIES’ COMMENT ON 'THE VIEW' BUT DEFENDS FAMILY MESSAGEVice President JD Vance visits "Hannity" with host Sean Hannity at Fox News Channel Studios on June 15, 2026 in New York City.
(Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)Vance originally made the remark in 2021 when he argued the country was being run by Democrats and "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the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."He also called out then-Vice President Kamala Harris, then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, arguing that the party's future was being shaped by people without children.
Harris is the stepmother of two.Buttigieg welcomed twins later that year.At the time, the comments sparked fierce backlash from liberal women, including Taylor Swift, who later endorsed Harris for president as a self-described "Childless Cat Lady."FAMILY MATTERS: HOW VP VANCE, WIFE DELIVER 'NORMALCY TO THE KIDS IN A VERY ABNORMAL SITUATION' Vice President JD Vance and Usha Vance and their children walk across the stage during the celebration of the Army's 250th birthday on the National Mall on June 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images)...