In the past week, old comments by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance about people without children have resurfaced, offending huge swathes of the American public.

In a 2021 interview, Vance described Democrats as “a bunch of childless cat ladies”, directly referencing Vice President Kamala Harris, who has two step-children with her husband Doug Emhoff.

The comment has garnered criticism from the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Republican senator John McCain. Many critics have pointed to billionaire Taylor Swift who is 34, unmarried, without children, and a famously devoted owner of three cats.

Vance quickly clarified that his comments were meant to be sarcastic, but he doubled down on his argument that the left was pursuing “policies that are profoundly anti-child”.

So, why are these comments angering so many people, particularly women, across the political spectrum?

Vance’s pro-natalist views are not new.

He has lauded efforts by authoritarian Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to boost his country’s birth rates, which include financial incentives for couples who have children.

He has suggested Americans without children should be taxed more than those with children and giving children the vote, which parents would exercise on their behalf.

Above all, Vance believes people without children do not have “an investment in the future of this country” and so should have less of a say.

In lamenting........

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