Former Trump White House Aide Alyssa Farah Griffin warned Republicans that it’s “strategically disastrous” to continue disparaging childless women after Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris for not having children to keep her “humble.”
Sanders’ comments preceded GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump taking the stage Tuesday night at a campaign rally in Flint, Michigan. The Arkansas governor told rallygoers that her most important title is being a mother, saying, “Not only do my kids serve as a permanent reminder of what’s important, they also keep me humble.”
“Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn’t have anything keeping her humble,” Sanders added.
The vice president has two stepchildren, Cole Emhoff, 30, and Ella Emhoff, 25, through her marriage to second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Harris married Doug in 2014 and has been a steady presence in the lives of Cole and Ella, who call Harris “Momala,” according to NBC News.
On the second night of the Democratic National Convention last month, NBC News added, Cole Emhoff’s introduction of his father included a video capturing his dad’s life in photos. “We might not look like other families in the White House, but we are ready to represent all families in America,” Cole said in the voice-over.
The jab from Sanders on Tuesday night arrived as Trump continues to struggle to win over women voters. Polling has shown Harris leading among female and young voters by double digits, and concerns over abortion and reproductive rights have remained a winning issue for Democrats.
JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images
Speaking on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer Wednesday night, Griffin, who served as White House director of strategic communications for Trump in 2020, said that comments like those from Sanders are continuing to hurt Republicans’ chances in November.
“It is strategically disastrous,” Griffin said. “You’re not talking about a small segment of the population. You’re talking about 50 percent of the voting bloc. And by the way, one that Republicans are struggling with this cycle, because reproductive health is on the ballot and Trump already has ground to make up with women.”
Trump’s campaign was previously slammed after a 2021 interview with his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, resurfaced shortly after Vance was chosen as the vice presidential nominee. In the video, Vance told Fox News, “We are effectively run in this country via the Democrats by 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.”
A survey from The New York Times and Siena College in early August found that Harris was leading by 21 points among female voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—three swing states that will likely be critical to securing victory in November. Experts have told Newsweek that the 2024 election could see one of the largest gender gaps in U.S. history, with male voters largely favoring Trump.
Griffin on Wednesday said that comments about childless women are “insulting,” adding, “It’s an anti-family message. It’s an anti-freedom message.”
“And I frankly expected better from Sarah Sanders,” Griffin added, noting that she’s “worked with” the governor “and always enjoyed working with her.”
Newsweek has reached out to Sanders’ office for comment. An email was also sent Trump’s campaign Wednesday night.
