JD Vance defends "childless cat ladies" remark amid backlash

Washington — Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance defended his comment about "childless cat ladies" on Friday as he faces backlash after his 2021 remarks recirculated this week. 

"Obviously, it was a sarcastic comment," he said in an interview on "The Megyn Kelly Show" podcast. "I've got nothing against cats. I've got nothing against dogs. … People are focusing so much on the sarcasm and not on the substance of what I actually said. The substance of what I said, Megyn — I'm sorry, it's true." 

"These people want to conflate the personal situation here with the fact that I'm making an argument that our entire society has become skeptical and even hateful towards the idea of having kids," he said later.