Vance defends 'childless cat lady' comment, says 'joke' was 'willfully misinterpreted' by Democrats

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National correspondent Bryan Llenas reports the latest from the DNC in Chicago. 

Vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance's regret in referring to some leaders as "childless cat ladies" is that "a lot of people took it the wrong way," he revealed during a recent interview.

Since jumping into the 2024 presidential race, Vance has caught flak for a resurfaced 2021 comment, when he said that "we're effectively run in this country via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies."

The senator, however, says that the statement was taken out of context. 

"I want to be the vice president for the whole country and I want to represent everyone. And yes, I made a sarcastic comment years ago that I think that a lot of Democrats have willfully misinterpreted," Vance told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

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Sen. JD Vance addresses a campaign rally on Aug. 20, 2024, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Andy Manis/Getty Images)

Vance was then pressed again on whether he regretted the comment. 

"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," the vice presidential candidate told the outlet. 

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"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," Vance added. "I have a lot of regrets, Kristen, but making a joke three years ago is not at the top 10 of the list."

Former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance before making remarks to a crowd on Aug. 21, 2024, in Asheboro, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

The Ohio senator added that he believes the U.S. is becoming increasingly "anti-family" and wants to give women more options for starting families.

"I want to change that," he said. "I think if you talk to young women, whether they have children or don't want to have children, what you consistently hear is that a lot of young women feel like they don't have options."

While Vance continues to defend his statement, Democrats have criticized the comment since he was selected as former President Donald Trump's 2024 running mate.

Oprah Winfrey hit Sen. JD Vance for his "childless cat lady" comment while speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 21, 2024. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called it "offensive," while Oprah Winfrey highlighted it in her speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

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"Despite what some would have you think, we are not so different from our neighbors. When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion, we don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No, we just try to do the best we can to save them," Winfrey told attendees at the DNC. "And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out, too."