Vance Admits ‘Childless Cat Ladies’ Remark Was ‘Boneheaded’

Vice President JD Vance has called his controversial 2021 “childless cat ladies” comment “one of the dumbest things I ever said” and “boneheaded,” according to his forthcoming memoir “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” set for release on June 16. The admission marks a striking reversal from his 2024 campaign stance, when he repeatedly defended the remark and refused to apologize.

According to NBC News, which obtained an advance copy of the book, Vance writes that the comment was “intentionally (and successfully) provocative rather than illuminating.” He frames his regret within the context of his Catholic faith, writing: “When I consider the Church’s admonition to respect the dignity of every life, this was a clear moment where I failed.”

The Original Comment and Its Fallout

The remark was made in 2021 during an appearance on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show, while Vance was running for the U.S. Senate in Ohio. He said the country was being run by Democrats, corporate oligarchs, and “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.” He specifically named then-Vice President Kamala Harris, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The comment resurfaced in July 2024, shortly after Vance was selected as Donald Trump’s running mate, creating a political firestorm. Harris, a stepmother to two children who call her “Momala,” was defended by her stepchildren and her ex-husband’s former wife, Kerstin Emhoff. As USA Today reported, the controversy became a defining moment of the 2024 vice presidential campaign.

A Shift in Tone

During the 2024 campaign, Vance stood by the remark. On Megyn Kelly’s show, he called it “a sarcastic comment” and said, “I’ve got nothing against cats.” In an August 2024 interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” he stated: “I have a lot of regrets, but making a joke three years ago is not at the top 10 of the list.”

Now, in “Communion,” Vance takes a different approach. “It’s okay to admit error,” he writes. He acknowledges that the comment was “enraging” and that it “had the added benefit of distracting from the actual point I wanted to make, which was that our society is becoming pathologically hostile to having kids.” He adds that he “could have made that point much more effectively, and with the benefit of showing a little charity to the many Americans who — some for reasons beyond their control — don’t have children.”

A Faith Journey

“Communion” is Vance’s first book since his 2016 bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy.” The Associated Press reports that the memoir chronicles his faith journey from Protestant to atheist to Catholic convert. The “cat ladies” chapter appears in a section where Vance discusses a meeting with Pope Francis before his death in 2025 and wrestles with Christian views on immigration and abortion.

Second Lady Usha Vance, a Hindu, figures prominently in the book. Vance dedicates the work to her — “For my darling Usha, who taught me to think on those things that are honest, just, pure, and lovely” — and describes her as a “vicious” but indispensable editor. He writes with irony that “my non-Christian wife helped lead me back to my own Christian faith.”

Political Timing

The book’s release comes less than five months before the 2026 midterm elections and is widely seen as laying groundwork for a potential 2028 presidential campaign. As NPR noted in its historical analysis of the “cat lady” trope, the stereotype has centuries-old roots, from medieval associations with witchcraft to Victorian-era portrayals of lonely spinsters to modern pop culture depictions.

Vance also addresses abortion in the book, acknowledging that the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade “has revealed the political unpopularity of our position.” He writes that if pro-life arguments fail to persuade, “you have to make a better argument.”

What to Watch For

The admission raises questions about how Vance’s shift will be received by different constituencies. Democrats may use it to highlight his changing positions, while his base may view it as a necessary evolution. With the 2026 midterms approaching and a potential 2028 presidential campaign on the horizon, “Communion” offers voters a deeper look at the man who could be the next standard-bearer of the Republican Party.