CNN
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Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders reignited controversy over how Donald Trump allies talk about stepmothers and childless women when she told the former president’s supporters Tuesday night that there was no reason for Kamala Harris to remain humble.
Introducing Trump at a town hall meeting in Flint, Michigan, Sanders said their three children were a “constant reminder of what is at stake in this country” in the run-up to the election.
“My children keep me humble. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris has nothing to keep her humble,” said Sanders, the first female governor of Arkansas and Trump’s former White House press secretary. “You would think that after four years of failure, she would know some humility. Unfortunately, she does not.”
The comments come as the Trump campaign seeks to narrow the gap with Harris among female voters. Sanders is one of several former Trump aides who have tried to lobby women for the former president, despite his long history of sexual misconduct allegations and the fact that he was convicted of sexual abuse and defamation last year. During her time in the White House, Sanders, who at times faced sexist comments about her appearance, defended Trump after he was criticized for attacks on female politicians.
Her remarks on Tuesday, in which she argued that children served as a reminder of what matters in an election and alluded to the vice president’s lack of biological children, are reminiscent of comments by Trump’s running mate JD Vance, who has long criticized those who do not have children, particularly elected officials.
The Ohio senator railed against a “childless elite” in Washington who, in his opinion, have no “direct interest” in the future of the country. He said the US is governed by “childless cat ladies who are unhappy with their own lives and the choices they have made.” Vance also said the Democratic Party has become “anti-family and anti-child.”
Those comments, made before joining Trump on the Republican presidential ticket, were heavily criticized by members of both parties. Pop star Taylor Swift alluded to Vance’s lines in her support for Harris, signing as a “childless cat lady.” Trump has since said, “I hate Taylor Swift.”
Sam Dubke, a spokesman for Sanders, said the governor was referring to the Biden-Harris administration’s economic and border security policies.
“Vice President Harris claims she alone can solve America’s problems, even though she has won no votes, raised prices by 20 percent and allowed nearly 10 million illegal border crossings,” Dubke said in a statement to CNN. “This is the lack of humility that Governor Sanders was referring to.”
Harris and Trump’s campaign teams did not respond to requests for comment.
Although Harris has no biological children, she does have two stepchildren – Cole and Ella Emhoff – from her ten-year marriage to second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
“We may not look like other families in the White House, but we are ready to represent all families in America,” Cole Emhoff said in a video introducing his father at the Democratic National Convention last month.
The second gentleman’s ex-wife, Kerstin Emhoff, has always defended Harris and her role in their patchwork family.
“Cole and Ella inspire us to make the world a better place. I do that through storytelling. Kamala Harris has spent her entire career working for the people, for ALL families,” she wrote on social media on Tuesday in response to Sanders’ comments. “That’s pretty humbling.”
At the heart of the Democratic backlash against Vance’s and now Sanders’ comments, however, is the view that women’s worth and contributions to their communities should not depend on whether they have children.
And the Democrats criticize the Republicans’ rhetoric as a diversionary tactic.
“When you don’t have substance, you have to resort to superficiality,” said Donna Brazile, a Harris ally and veteran Democratic political strategist.
Brazile pointed out that Vance missed recent Senate votes on temporarily expanding the child tax credit and on protecting and expanding access to assisted reproduction, which were blocked by Senate Republicans.
Members of Sanders’ own party also reacted skeptically to her comments at the event in Flint.
Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist and senior political commentator at CNN, said he knows the value of stepparents because he himself was raised by his stepmother for several years.
“My Republican Party welcomes everyone,” Jennings said Tuesday on CNN’s “NewsNight with Abby Phillip.” “We encourage families, we encourage life, but we also encourage everyone to do what is best for them in their personal situation and to respect other people’s choices.”
Brian Lanza, a senior Trump campaign adviser who was also raised by a stepmother, told Phillip he was “insulted” by the comment and “disappointed” by Sanders’ remarks.
“I’m sure I’ll be criticized by the campaign, but I have to defend someone who is a stepmother. It’s a tough job,” Lanza said. “We should reward that and talk about it in a positive tone.”
