NEWSWEEK
Kerstin Emhoff, the ex-wife of Kamala Harris‘ husband Doug, has defended Harris in response to criticism towards her for not having biological children.
Emhoff, a film producer and mother to Cole, 30, and Ella, 25, with her ex-husband, shared a clip to X, formerly Twitter, which showed Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders‘ speech at a campaign event for Donald Trump in Flint, Michigan, on Tuesday.
Sanders said, “My kids keep me humble. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn’t have anything keeping her humble.” It echoes previous criticism from conservatives, including JD Vance, suggesting that people who don’t have children are less qualified for political roles than those who do.
In response, Emhoff wrote, “Cole and Ella keep us inspired to make the world a better place. I do it through storytelling. Kamala Harris has spent her entire career working for the people, ALL families. That keeps you pretty humble.”
Her post received over 36,000 likes, and many praised Emhoff for embracing Harris’ role as her children’s stepmother, something she’s spoken about publicly before. Others criticized Sanders for her comments — one called them “disgusting” and another said, “Arkansas deserves better than this.”
Newsweek reached out to Kerstin Emhoff via Instagram and Sarah Huckabee Sanders via a form on her website for comment outside of business hours and will update the story with comments if received. Newsweek also reached out to the Harris campaign for comment via email outside of business hours.
Prior to becoming governor of Arkansas in 2023, Sanders also served as the White House press secretary for Trump from 2017 to 2019 and is a close ally of the former president.
It’s not the first time Emhoff has come to Harris’ defense. In July, she said, “For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I. She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it,” according to CNN.
Emhoff also attended the Democratic National Convention in August in support of Harris and produced a short film called “This is My Dad, Doug” with her son Cole depicting Doug Emhoff‘s life story and how he met Harris.
Following the convention, she wrote on X, “After 33 years of unwavering friendship and two amazing kids, I’m incredibly proud of this man and our blended family. This week has exceeded all my expectations. I’m excited to spend the next 74 days working hard to help Doug and Kamala win this November!”
