Fact Check: Kamala Harris Does Not Have Biological Children?

Claim:

Vice President Kamala Harris does not have any biological children.

Rating:

True ( About this rating? )

Context:

While Vice President Kamala Harris does not have any biological children, she is a stepmother to two from her husband’s previous marriage. She has referred to them as her "amazing kids."

As U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris became a front-runner for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 presidential race, her personal life was put in the spotlight. Notably, conservatives have long criticized her for not having any biological children.

One social media post shared a picture of Harris' stepdaughter and stated she "has NO NATURAL CHILDREN because children cannot be conceived via the esophagus."

The wave of misogynistic attacks is not new. Comments made by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance in 2021, in which he implied Harris was a "childless cat lady" who had no stake in the future of the country because she had no children, resurfaced in 2024.

While Harris does not have biological children, she is a stepmother of two through her marriage to Doug Emhoff in 2014. Emhoff had two children from his first marriage, Cole and Ella, who were still teenagers when he began dating Harris. While they are not her biological children, Harris played a role in their upbringing, and according to most reports has a close relationship with them.

The actual nature of their relationship and whether they identify as her children, is a private family matter. However, given that they are not her biological children, we rate this claim as "True."

The Emhoffs have affectionately referred to Harris with the nickname " Momala ." Harris has repeatedly described her close relationship with her husband's children, saying to supporters on Aug. 12, 2020, ahead of the 2020 presidential election: "I've had a lot of titles over my career and certainly vice president will be great, but 'Momala' will always be the one that means the most."

She also referred to Cole and Ella as her kids: "Family is everything to me too and I cannot wait for America to get to know my husband Doug and our amazing kids, Cole and Ella."

In an interview with The New York Times , Cole Emhoff described having to explain to Harris when he arrived home late one night:

I was a senior when they got together, and I remember I saw a tweet that someone did. It was a photo of Kamala at the Kavanaugh hearing, and someone tweeted, like, "I'd hate to have to look at that face and explain why I'm late for curfew." And I was thinking, "I've literally had to do that."

While it is true that Harris does not have biological children, she is reportedly close to her stepchildren and has a parental relationship with them.

Sources:

Bennett, Jessica. "Kamala Harris Will Make History. So Will Her 'Big, Blended' Family." The New York Times, 17 Jan. 2021. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/kamala-harris-doug-emhoff-family-inauguration.html. " target="blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/kamala-harris-doug-emhoff-family-inauguration.html.">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/kamala-harris-doug-emhoff-family-inauguration.html. Accessed 24 July 2024.

Bennett, Jessica. "What's It Like to Have Kamala Harris as 'Momala'? We Asked Her Stepkids." The New York Times, 17 Jan. 2021. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/politics/kamala-harris-stepmom-cole-ella-emhoff.html. " target="blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/politics/kamala-harris-stepmom-cole-ella-emhoff.html.">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/politics/kamala-harris-stepmom-cole-ella-emhoff.html. Accessed 24 July 2024.

"Clip Resurfaces of Vance Criticizing Harris for Being 'childless,' Testing Trump's New Running Mate." ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/clip-resurfaces-vance-criticizing-harris-childless-testing-trumps-112205504 . Accessed 24 July 2024.

"Kamala Harris's Husband and Potential "Second Gentleman."" BBC, 13 Aug. 2020. www.bbc.com, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53758915. " target="blank">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53758915.">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53758915. Accessed 24 July 2024.

Makuch, Ben. "Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff Face Online Wave of Sexist, Racist Attacks." The Guardian, 24 July 2024. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/24/kamala-harris-doug-emhoff-sexist-antisemitic-attacks. " target="blank">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/24/kamala-harris-doug-emhoff-sexist-antisemitic-attacks.">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/24/kamala-harris-doug-emhoff-sexist-antisemitic-attacks. Accessed 24 July 2024.

Montague, Zach. "What to Know About Kamala Harris's Husband, Doug Emhoff." The New York Times, 22 July 2024. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/22/us/politics/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-husband.html. " target="blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/22/us/politics/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-husband.html.">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/22/us/politics/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-husband.html. Accessed 24 July 2024.