Second gentleman Doug Emhoff used part of his Tuesday speech at the Democratic National Convention to share a little more about his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris — including the awkward story of how they met.
Emhoff, a lawyer, said a client passed along Harris’ phone number and offered to set him up on a blind date.
“For generations, people have debated when to call the person you’re being set up with. And never in history has anyone suggested 8:30 a.m.,” Emhoff joked.
“And yet, that’s when I dialed. I got Kamala’s voicemail, and I just started rambling.”
He affected a bumbling voice as he recalled the voicemail he left: “Hey, it’s Doug. I’m on my way to an early meeting. Again, it’s Doug.”
“I remember I was trying to grab the words out of the air and put them back in my mouth. And for what seemed like far too many minutes, I hung up.”
“By the way, Kamala saved that voicemail, and she makes me listen to it on every anniversary,” he added, prompting a big laugh from the crowd gathered in Chicago.
Emhoff’s speech comes as the Democratic Party is trying to familiarize the American public with Harris, who has served a relatively quiet vice presidency next to Joe Biden but stepped up to be the party’s presidential nominee when Biden dropped his reelection bid.
Emhoff continued, “That message wasn’t the only unusual thing about that day.” Harris happened to be home and returned the call when Emhoff was having lunch at his desk, as he rarely did.
The two talked, he said, and laughed.
“You know that laugh! I love that laugh!” Emhoff told the crowd.
Later, he said that as he got to know Harris, he learned “what drives her.”
“She finds joy in pursuing justice. She stands up to bullies, just like my parents taught me to. She likes seeing people do well but hates when they’re treated unfairly,” he said, adding: “Her empathy is her strength.”
The pair are coming up on their 10th wedding anniversary, Emhoff noted, acknowledging that he will again have to listen to the dreadful voicemail.
While Emhoff’s children, Ella and Cole, were in the audience in Chicago, Harris was traveling back from Wisconsin, where she and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, held a rally. Air Force Two circled before landing in Chicago, however, to allow Harris the chance to keep watching her husband’s speech in the cabin.
A cheer erupted on the plane, according to a pool report: “DOUG! DOUG! DOUG!”
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