The Census Bureau estimates there are 22 million women between
the ages of 20 and 40 who, for whatever reason,
do not have children.
What do you say to those women who hear some
of your comments, including childless cat lady comments, which you've
been asked about, but who feel as though you won't
represent them?
Well, I'd say, first of all, I will represent you.
I want to be the vice president for the whole
country, and I want to represent everybody.
And yes, I made a sarcastic comment years ago that
I think that a lot of Democrats have willfully misinterpreted.
But what I've simply said is that I, I think
that it's really a profound change that's happened in our
country when we become anti family.
And I would like to change that.
And I think if you talk to young women, whether
they have children or don't want want to have children,
what you consistently hear is that a lot of young
women feel like they don't have options.
I saw this with my own wife who's a working
mother, who's a very, very accomplished litigator.
She has three beautiful kids and always felt like she
was having to balance being a good mom with being
the kind of litigator that she wanted to be.
I just want women to have more choices.
I've seen that very personally in my own family.
And I think it's something that is broken about our
country.
Let me zoom out a little bit.
And you're calling it a sarcastic comment.
Sure.
And yet some women and you got the feedback in
real time felt like it was a gut punch to
them personally.
Do you regret making that comment?
Look, I regret certainly that a lot of people took
it the wrong way.
And I certainly regret the DNC and, and do you
regret what you said, Senator Kristen?
I'm going to say things from time to time that
people would disagree with.
I'm a real person.
I'm going to make jokes.
I'm going to say things sarcastically.
And I think that what's important is that we focus
on the policy.
There are certainly going to be things that I say
if I'm elected vice president, people are going to say,
well, I wish he had said that differently.
I think it's most important to actually be the person
I actually AM.
And to say those sarcastic comments were made in the
service of a real substantive point.
This country has become too anti family.
It's too expensive to afford a house.
It's too expensive to afford groceries.
Donald Trump and I want to change that.
And unless we get better leadership, we're not going to.
But but again, just very quickly, given that people have
told you directly, have spoken out, have said that they
were offended, they were hurt by those comments, do you
wish you never made those childless cat lady comments?
I think that it's much more important for me to
just be a normal human being who sometimes says things
where people disagree with.
I have a lot of regrets Kristen, but making a
joke three years ago is not at the top ten
the list.