Tim Walz’s Personal IVF Story Intensely Foils JD Vance’s ‘Childless Cat Lady’ Tirades
Walz and his wife struggled to have children for eight years before conceiving both their children through IVF. Vance, meanwhile, has cast “childless” adults as his no. 1 political enemy.
Photos: Getty Images Politics JD Vance
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has officially selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, a decision that’s somehow pleased both Nancy Pelosi and online leftists. And while everyone on Harris’ shortlist would’ve easily outshined alleged couch-fucker, JD Vance, Walz seems specifically made in a lab to be the foil to the deeply unpopular GOP vice presidential nominee. For starters, they’ve both aggressively branded themselves around being from the Midwest—but Vance touts this by weaponizing soda-based culture wars, while Walz does so by ensuring all public schoolchildren can eat free meals. Walz even seems to have clinched his spot on the ticket by pioneering the “JD Vance is weird” attack—kudos to a real hater!
And then there’s Vance’s obsession with “childless cat ladies,” who he’s spent the better part of his nascent political career smearing as “sociopathic” and undeserving of voting rights. Now that Walz has joined the Democratic ticket and will soon face off against Vance on the debate stage, Walz’s personal story of fertility struggles and relying on IVF to have his two children is receiving renewed attention. In February, when the Alabama Supreme Court all but outlawed IVF (before the legislature intervened) and Senate Republicans, who include Vance, blocked efforts to enshrine a federal right to fertility services, Walz wrote on Twitter, “Gwen and I have two beautiful children because of reproductive health care like IVF. This issue is deeply personal to our family and so many others.” He continued, “Don’t let these guys get away with this by telling you they support IVF when their handpicked judges oppose it.”
Gwen and I have two beautiful children because of reproductive health care like IVF. This issue is deeply personal to our family and so many others.
Don’t let these guys get away with this by telling you they support IVF when their handpicked judges oppose it.