Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on the podcast “Call Her Daddy” on October 6, where she asserted that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump cannot claim to be a protector of women. Right-wing commentators quickly criticized her for not addressing abuse allegations against her husband, Doug Emhoff, despite her advocacy for women’s rights.
In the podcast, Harris discussed strategies to combat sexual and domestic abuse, emphasizing the importance of speaking out. She shared how the abuse of a high school friend by her stepfather motivated her legal career, stating, “We have to talk about it. Child sexual assault is something that far more people than the public discourse about it acknowledges.”
Harris highlighted the significance of financial independence for women, explaining that many victims do not leave their abusers due to economic dependency. “When a woman, and in particular if she has children, if she is economically reliant on her abuser, she’s less likely to leave,” she said. “Most women will endure whatever personal, physical pain they must in order to make sure their kids have a roof over their head or food.”
Addressing Trump directly, Harris said, “So, this is the same guy… that said women should be punished for having abortions. This is the same guy who uses the same kind of language he does to describe women? So yeah, there you go.”
However, while Harris discussed women’s empowerment, right-wing media criticized her for not acknowledging claims that Emhoff physically assaulted a former girlfriend in 2012. Emhoff’s team has denied these allegations, calling them false. In August, he admitted to infidelity during his first marriage, with reports suggesting he impregnated a nanny.