WASHINGTON: US Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance is learning the hard way the Internet doesn鈥檛 just love cats but also childless cat ladies, as comments resurfaced in which he claimed those without offspring were less fit to govern.

In a 2021 clip, Vance singled out Kamala Harris, now the Democratic presidential nominee, among others as he told Fox News that those who hadn鈥檛 procreated, particularly 鈥渃hildless cat ladies,鈥� were 鈥渕iserable鈥� and had no 鈥渄irect stake鈥� in the country.

The comments have sparked a storm of scorn and accusations that the father of three represents an out-of-touch, sexist Republican mindset that has no place in the modern era.

鈥淚t would be funny if it wasn鈥檛 so sad,鈥� Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told MSNBC, adding: 鈥淢y God, they went after 鈥榗at people,鈥� good luck with that!鈥�

If Harris, who has two stepchildren, beats Republican former president Donald Trump in November elections, she not only becomes the first woman president, but also the first woman of Black and Asian heritage, which has opened her up to a number of attacks along demographic lines.

While multiple Republicans have flagged her lack of biological children as an issue, her online 鈥淜Hive鈥� of fans has been running defense 鈥� via memes, indignation and supportive posts including from celebrities, politicians and members of her own family.

An outraged Jennifer Aniston pointed to her own infertility, which the actor has been vocal about in the past, while comedian and talk show host Whoopi Goldberg asked 鈥淣ow, what the hell?鈥�

The resurfaced 2021 clip shows Vance, then a US Senate candidate from Ohio, telling Fox鈥檚 Tucker Carlson that the United States was being run by 鈥渁 bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they鈥檝e made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 just a basic fact 鈥� you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC 鈥� the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children,鈥� Vance said.

鈥淎nd how does it make any sense that we鈥檝e turned our country over to people who don鈥檛 really have a direct stake in it?鈥�

Buttigieg, who is the US transportation secretary and adopted two children that same year, told CNN the comments were hurtful given an adoption setback he was facing at the time.

鈥淗e couldn鈥檛 have known that, but maybe that鈥檚 why you shouldn鈥檛 be talking about other people鈥檚 children,鈥� Buttigieg said.

Harris has two stepchildren, Cole and Ella, through her husband Doug Emhoff and his first wife.

Their mother, Kerstin Emhoff, said in a statement to CNN that the attacks on Harris were 鈥渂aseless.鈥�

鈥淔or over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.鈥�

Ella, age 25, who refers to Harris as 鈥淢omala,鈥� meanwhile wrote on Instagram that 鈥淚 love my three parents.鈥�

鈥淗ow can you be 鈥榗hildless鈥� when you have cutie pie kids like cole and I.鈥�

Harris supporters were quick to point out that no US president has ever physically given birth, since all have been men. A handful have also never produced any offspring.

Chief among them was George Washington, America鈥檚 first president who like Harris helped raise his spouse鈥檚 children from a previous marriage.

Meghan McCain, daughter of late Republican senator John McCain, warned that Vance鈥檚 comments 鈥渁re activating women across all sides, including my most conservative Trump supporting friends.鈥�

The focus on politicians鈥� children comes as reproductive health and abortion access 鈥� topics Harris has championed 鈥� take center stage in this year鈥檚 election.

鈥淧olitical leaders should have children. Certainly they should at least be married,鈥� venture capitalist and Trump-endorsed former congressional candidate Blake Masters wrote on X.

鈥淚f you aren鈥檛 running or can鈥檛 run a household of your own, how can you relate to a constituency of families, or govern wisely with respect to future generations?鈥� he said.

In a 2021 speech, Vance went so far as to suggest people with children should have more votes.

鈥淲hen you go to the polls in this country as a parent, you should have more power,鈥� he said in quotes unearthed by the Washington Post, adding 鈥渋f you don鈥檛 have as much of an investment in the future of this country, maybe you shouldn鈥檛 get nearly the same voice.鈥�

Vance鈥檚 campaign has since dismissed the comments as a 鈥渢hought experiment.鈥�