Vice President JD Vance backed down on a "boneheaded" remark that came back to haunt him on the campaign trail in 2024.
The vice president admitted to making a mistake by slandering Kamala Harris and other Democratic women as "childless cat ladies" during a 2021 appearance on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show, according to his forthcoming memoir, “Communion,” reported NBC News.
“One of the dumbest things I ever said came when I argued that ‘childless cat ladies’ across the Democrat Party were running our country into the ground,” Vance writes in the book, according to a copy obtained by the network. “The comment caused two firestorms: the first when I made it, the second years later during a political campaign. It was a boneheaded comment, intentionally (and successfully) provocative rather than illuminating.”
The comments came to light shortly after Donald Trump named him as running mate, but Vance refused to apologize or express regret for the partisan insult.
“I have a lot of regrets,” Vance said at the time, “but making a joke three years ago is not at the top 10 of the list.”
His about-face comes in a chapter in the book about meeting with Pope Francis before his death last year and covers his Christian views on immigration and abortion.
“And that brings me to another lesson of the faith for Christian statesmen,” Vance wrote. “It’s okay to admit error.”
Vance also discusses how the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who had been a close friend, was directly related to second lady Usha Vance's pregnancy.
“As my wife held Charlie Kirk’s widow on the first day of her terrible sorrow, Erika told Usha between sobs that she regretted having only two kids with Charlie,” Vance wrote. “But something changed for Usha, and not long after we buried my friend, she became pregnant with our fourth child, a boy. One life was stolen from us, but another was given.”