Lisa Murkowski Says She Was Offended By JD Vance’s ‘Childless Cat Lady’ Comment
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican from Alaska, has expressed her offense at JD Vance’s recent comments referring to people who don’t or can’t have children as “childless cat ladies.” In an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju on Wednesday, Murkowski emphasized that such remarks are not only offensive but also undermine the autonomy of women in making personal life decisions.
“I said that it was offensive to me as a woman,” Murkowski told Raju. “Women make their own determinations as to whether or not they’re going to have children or cats or dogs or how many kids they’re going to have.”
Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, has faced significant backlash for his numerous disparaging comments about individuals without children. Despite facing criticism, Vance has only apologized to cats, avoiding any retraction of his views on childless women. Murkowski highlighted the importance of focusing on policy discussions rather than engaging in name-calling and inflammatory statements.
“What the country would hope for … is a discussion on the issues and the policies,” Murkowski said, according to Raju. “We don’t need to engage in name-calling, we don’t need to create inflammatory statements.”
In the past, Vance has advocated for people without children to pay higher taxes than those with children. He has also suggested reducing the voting power of childless adults, arguing that they have less stake in American democracy. These proposals have been met with widespread criticism, highlighting the divisive nature of his comments.
Murkowski and Maine’s Sen. Susan Collins are the only two Republican senators who support abortion rights. Murkowski is also known for her occasional criticism of her fellow Republicans who endorse extreme policies and uncritically support Donald Trump. She voted to convict Trump for inciting the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.
Before Trump became the official Republican presidential nominee, Murkowski stated that she “could not vote” for him, urging the party to support former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. In March, she expressed her consideration of leaving the Republican Party, describing herself as “independent-minded.”
“I just regret that our party is seemingly becoming a party of Donald Trump,” she told CNN at the time. “I am navigating my way through some very interesting political times. Let’s just leave it at that.”
As of now, Murkowski has not explicitly stated whether she will support Trump in his current bid for the presidency. Her stance on Vance’s comments underscores her commitment to advocating for respectful discourse and policy-focused debates within the political arena.