In a 2021 podcast that recently resurfaced, JD Vance argued that women who prioritize their careers over starting a family are choosing a path to misery. Vance, now the GOP vice presidential nominee, claimed that many professional women believe true liberation means working long hours at jobs like those at McKinsey instead of focusing on family life. He suggested that some eventually realize this choice leads to unhappiness.
Vance also mentioned his female classmates from Yale Law School, saying they were caught up in a demanding career race that left them miserable. He met his wife, Usha, while studying at Yale.
These comments echo previous statements by Vance, who recently described a childless cat lady remark as a sarcastic joke. He also faced criticism for expressing discomfort with teachers who don’t have biological children.
The podcast, produced by the right-wing non-profit American Moment, was released in September 2021. At the time, Vance was a member of the organization’s advisory board and running for U.S. Senate. The group aims to promote policies that support strong families and national sovereignty.
During the podcast, Vance also discussed how traditional masculine traits are being suppressed in boys and men from childhood through adulthood. He mentioned his son’s habit of pretending to fight monsters as a natural and important part of developing a protective instinct. Vance suggested that if the U.S. were ever invaded, it would be defended by such boys who grow up to be proud men, not by what he dismissively called soy boys.