Independent Senator Joe Manchin has criticized Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance for his controversial comments about adults who choose not to have children. Vance, a U.S. senator for Ohio, has recently faced backlash over resurfaced remarks in which he disparaged “childless cat ladies” and suggested that childless adults lack a stake in the country, labeling them as “sociopathic” or “psychotic.”
Manchin, who caucuses with the Democrats, joined other Democrats in labeling Vance and former President Donald Trump as “weird” for their views. Manchin expressed his disbelief at Vance’s position, calling it “very weird” and unprecedented in his experience. This criticism aligns with the broader Democratic response to Vance’s stance on childless Americans.
JD Vance
A spokesperson for Vance, Taylor Van Kirk, responded by accusing the media of misrepresenting Vance’s words, insisting that his comments targeted left-wing politicians who support anti-child and anti-family policies. Van Kirk emphasized that Vance will continue advocating for parental rights and policies encouraging higher birth rates, dismissing media scrutiny as irrelevant.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung also defended Vance, accusing Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris of projecting “weird and creepy vibes” and gaslighting through their rhetoric. The controversy surrounding Vance’s remarks has intensified following the revelation of his 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson, where he criticized prominent Democrats like Kamala Harris and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for not having children and questioned their investment in the country’s future.
Vance has further suggested that parents should have more electoral power than childless individuals, a stance he articulated during a 2021 speech to a conservative group.
His comments from a 2020 podcast, where he labeled childless individuals as “sociopathic” and “psychotic,” have also resurfaced, intensifying the scrutiny. Despite the backlash, Vance defends his remarks as criticisms of the Democratic Party’s alleged anti-family stance, rather than attacks on childless people themselves.
