There’s less than a month to go until the US presidential election, which means campaigning for both parties has reached critical levels. Vice President Kamala Harris’ preferred platform? An appearance on Alex Cooper’s podcast, Call Her Daddy.
A podcast once famous for frank, detailed conversations about sex might not seem like the obvious medium for the democratic candidate to get her message across. But with the largest female audience of any podcast in the world, it proved to be the perfect place for a thoughtful, comprehensive conversation around issues pertaining to women – some of the most hotly-debated topics in this election.
Haven’t had time to listen? Below, we’re breaking down the biggest takeaways from Kamala Harris’ appearance on Call Her Daddy.
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She zeroed in on reproductive rights
Naturally, Harris and Cooper spoke in-depth about reproductive rights. In particular, Cooper asked Harris her thoughts on former President and republican candidate Donald Trump’s claim that some states allow women to undergo abortions in their ninth month of pregnancy.
“That is not happening anywhere in the United States. It is not happening and it’s a lie,” Harris responded succinctly, adding that the idea alone was “insulting” to women seeking abortion care.
Harris went on to explain how changes to abortion access implemented during Trump's presidency are impacting American women in real-time.
“The majority of women who receive abortion care are mothers,” she said, adding that “every state in the South, except for Virgina, has an abortion ban.”
“The government shouldn't be telling [a pregnant woman] what to do. If she chooses, she'll talk to her priest, her pastor, her rabbi, her mom, but not the government telling you what to do. And that's what's so outrageous about it. A bunch of these guys up in these state capitals are writing these decisions because they somehow have decided that they're in a better position to tell you what's in your best interest than you are to know what's in your own best interest. It's outrageous."
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She emphasised that reproductive rights extend beyond abortion
Harris also urged Call Her Daddy listeners to understand that, under a Trump administration, access to crucial reproductive health services could also be at risk.
"It's about IVF treatment and access. It's about access to contraception [and] reproductive health clinics," she explained, adding that those clinics are essential for providing services like pap smears, breast cancer screenings, and HIV testing.
On why she became a prosecutor
Before entering politics, Harris worked extensively as a prosecutor. Early on in their chat, she explained to Cooper the heartbreaking scenario that inspired her to pursue the career.
"So, when I was in high school, my best friend, her name is Wanda, I learned was being sexually assaulted by her stepfather," she said.
“I knew something was going on 'cause she didn't wanna go home. She just seemed sad. And so she told me, and I immediately said, 'You have to come and stay with us.'"
Harris continued,“I decided at a young age, I wanted to do the work of protecting vulnerable people.”
She hit back at those 'childless cat lady' comments
The republican party have made several swipes at Harris for not having any biological children of her own. Most recently, Governor of Arkansas Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, "My kids keep me humble. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn't have anything keeping her humble."
Cooper asked Harris' thoughts on the comments, to which she replied, "I don't think [Huckabee Sanders] understands that there are a whole lot of women out here who, one are not aspiring to be humble. Two, a whole lot of women out here who have a lot of love in their life, family in their life, and children in their life. And I think it's really important for women to lift each other up."
Harris also commented on Vice President candidate JD Vance's comment that she's a "childless cat lady," saying, "I just think it's mean and mean-spirited."
"And I think that most Americans want leaders who understand that the measure of their strength is not based on who you beat down. The real measure of a leader's strength is based on who you lift up."
She touched on her role as 'Mamala'
While she might not have biological children, Harris is step-parent to Cole and Ella Emhoff, who she shares with husband Doug Emhoff. Speaking to Cooper, she explained, "We have our family by blood and then we have our family by love. And I have both. And I consider it to be a real blessing."
She went on: "They're my children, and I love those kids to death. Family comes in many forms, and I think that increasingly, you know, all of us understand that, you know, this is not the 1950s anymore. Families come in all kinds of shapes and forms, and they're family nonetheless."
Donald Trump was also asked to appear on Call Her Daddy
Pre-empting criticism that her chat with Harris was one-sided, Cooper introduced the interview by saying, “I want to be so clear since this isn’t a one-sided conversation, that we reached out to former President Donald Trump to come on the show."
“If he also wants to have a meaningful, in-depth conversation about women’s rights in this country, then he is welcome on Call Her Daddy anytime.”
