Trump's Running Mate JD Vance Said Childfree People Shouldn't Have As Much Voting Power As Parents — Here's Why That's Profoundly Wrong

In the News · Posted 2 minutes ago Trump's Running Mate JD Vance Said Childfree People Shouldn't Have As Much Voting Power As Parents — Here's Why That's Profoundly Wrong "Let’s give votes to all children in this country, but let’s give control over those votes to the parents of the children." by Morgan Sloss BuzzFeed Staff Link Facebook Pinterest Twitter Mail On Monday, former president Donald Trump announced his vice presidential running mate: Ohio Senator JD Vance. Drew Angerer / Getty Images There are endless reasons why I find this alarming, from Vance’s anti-LGBTQ legislation to his disparaging remarks about DEI initiatives.

But I want to focus on an old speech that’s been recirculating since the news broke. In 2021, Vance spoke at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s conference on the Future of American Political Economy, where he blamed "the childless left" for the nation's woes. As a woman who’s intentionally childfree , I am livid over this rhetoric.

According to him, we have "no physical commitment to the future of this country." Gaelen Morse / Getty Images This is an American take if I've ever seen one. Vance's hyper-focus on the individual and the nuclear family is nothing new in this country.

But in many cultures, including my own, the emphasis lies on the extended family and wider community. While I don't have children, my cousins do, and I certainly have a vested interest in my nieces and nephews' futures. Beyond that, I want to see my commun.