On Tuesday evening, Cole Emhoff, son of second gentleman Doug Emhoff, got a chance to step into the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to pay tribute to his father and to his stepmom, Kamala Harris.
For that moment, Cole created a short video celebrating his father’s relationship with the future presidential candidate, starting with what he called “the blind date that would dramatically change all of our lives forever.” The video then notes how he and his sister, Ella, watched his father and the then attorney general of California fall in love while “acting like teenagers.”
“In 2014, Kamala became Momala,” he continues. “She took over Sunday night dinners and taught Doug how to actually cook.”
It’s a sweet, heartfelt tribute to both Emhoff and Harris from a son who cares deeply about them both. But what makes it even more special is that the video was produced by Kerstin Emhoff—Cole’s mother and Doug’s ex-wife.
This is a video that represents a family. A blended, beautiful, and absolutely American family.
“Our blended family wasn’t used to politics or the spotlight, but when Kamala became senator, we were all excited to step up,” Cole continues in the video. “Especially my dad. Then Kamala became vice president. It felt like Doug was a bit out of place on Capitol Hill. I thought, ‘What is my goofy dad doing here?’ But he embraced it. He left his practice after being a lawyer for thirty years. That was tough. I was so proud to watch him do it, to stand by her side, an example of true partnership.”
The video may speak mostly to Cole’s love and admiration for his father, and his delight in seeing his father in a happy relationship. But every aspect of this is an expression of how real families overcome by coming together.
“We may not look like other families in the White House, but we are ready to represent all families in America.”
Harris, Doug, and Kerstin have voiced their respect for one another and their ability to coparent the Emhoff kids. In his DNC speech Tuesday, Emhoff said daughter Ella refers to their style as that of a “three-headed parenting machine.”
Following JD Vance’s resurfaced comments about “childless cat ladies,” Kerstin came to Harris’ defense in a statement.
“These are baseless attacks. For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I. She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.”
Harris also mentioned her relationship with Kerstin in her memoir, “The Truths We Hold.”
“I could tell from the way Doug talked about his kids that she was a terrific mother—and in later months, as Kerstin and I got to know each other, we really hit it off ourselves and became friends. (We sometimes joke that our modern family is almost a little too functional.)”
And they certainly do support one another:
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