J.D. Vance Defends Controversial ‘Cat Lady’ Comment AGAIN on Meet The Press

J.D. Vance, the Ohio senator and rising GOP figure, recently found himself in the hot seat during an interview on Meet The Press. The discussion centered around a comment Vance made that many found offensive, particularly women. The remark in question involved what he referred to as “childless cat ladies,” a term that sparked backlash and led to some people feeling personally attacked.

When pressed by host Kristen Welker about whether he regretted making the comment, Vance’s response was nuanced. Here’s a transcript of the exchange:

Kristen Welker: “And you’re calling it a sarcastic comment. 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?”

J.D. Vance: “Look, I regret, certainly, that a lot of people took it the wrong way. And I certainly regret that the DNC and Kamala Harris lied about it.”

Kristen Welker: “But do you regret what you said, Senator?”

J.D. Vance: “Look, Kristen, I’m going to say things from time to time that people 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 you 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.”

Kristen Welker: “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?”

J.D. Vance: “I think that it’s much more important for me to just be a normal human being who sometimes says things that people disagree with. I have a lot of regrets, Kristen, but making a joke three years ago is not in the top ten of the list.”

Vance’s doesn’t regret the comments. Believe who he said he is.