Second gentleman Doug Emhoff is throwing himself into a new job, serving as a top surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris‘s 2024 White House campaign.
Since Harris and President Joe Biden entered office in 2021, Emhoff has largely thrown off his old career, that of an entertainment lawyer, to fulfill the duties of any vice president’s spouse.
But after Harris supplanted Biden atop the Democratic ticket in July, Emhoff has taken a larger role with the campaign and has brought a certain “wife guy” energy to what’s effectively an audition to be the nation’s first first gentleman, Harris allies say.
According to a number of veteran Democratic operatives with close ties to Harris’s campaign, the “genuine” and “easygoing” Emhoff is the perfect cheerleader for Harris.
“The second gentleman is the perfect illustration of strong men supporting strong women,” one Democratic strategist told the Washington Examiner. “He’s clearly a fun guy, but he’s more than happy to take a back seat to the vice president because he, perhaps more than anyone in the country, knows exactly how qualified she is to do this job.”
“Doug is a joy to be around, and his presence on the campaign trail is infectious,” a second Democratic strategist added, noting that Emhoff’s frequent campaigning for Harris draws a sharp contrast to former first lady Melania Trump, who has largely avoided taking a public role in her husband’s 2024 bid.
Still, Harris and Emhoff’s non-traditional family has been under increased scrutiny since she ascended to the top of the ticket, with former Trump press secretary Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently criticizing Harris for not having any kids of her own to keep her “humble.”
Harris has no biological children of her own but has helped raise Ella and Cole, Emhoff’s two children from his previous marriage.
It was also uncovered over the summer that Emhoff had engaged in an affair during his first marriage with one of his daughter’s teachers, which ultimately led to the end of that marriage.
When the news was made public in August, Emhoff claimed that he “took responsibility,” for his actions, “and in the years since, we have worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side.”
And for her part, Emhoff’s first wife, Kerstin, appears to have no ill feelings towards Doug or Harris. In fact, she came to the vice president’s defense after Sanders’s comment.
“Cole and Ella keep us inspired to make the world a better place. I do it through storytelling,” Kersten Harris responded on X. “Kamala Harris has spent her entire career working for the people, ALL families. That keeps you pretty humble.”
According to the Harris campaign, Emhoff has taken part in more than 27 campaign events across 13 states since the Democratic National Convention in late August.
Those responsibilities have included virtual fundraisers, solo speeches, public appearances with Minnesota first lady Gwen Waltz, the wife of Harris’s running mate Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), and making multiple Borat-voice “my wife” jokes along the way.
Perhaps most importantly, Emhoff, the first-ever Jewish spouse to a president or vice president in U.S. history, has served as a critical bridge to the Jewish-American community following the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel.
He’s also served as a vocal attack dog against former President Donald Trump and other Republicans up for election in November, including on Friday when he tore into the former president for claiming that Harris “doesn’t like Jewish people.”
“It’s typical Donald Trump gaslighting,” he said during an interview with Good Morning America. “[Trump] is a guy who has had a record of saying incredibly vile, antisemitic things, so for him to say that, I almost laugh at, the chutzpah, as we would say.”
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Ultimately, a first gentleman would have no official sway over President Harris’s policies or executive decisions, but former White House chief of protocol and social secretary Capricia Marshall believes that Emhoff would prove a valuable asset to a Harris administration.
“How you entertain and welcome someone and show respect for them are powerful tools for engagement in international diplomacy,” Marshall told CNN in August, previewing how a first gentleman could welcome and host spouses of visiting heads of state. “He will understand what President Harris will be trying to achieve and why it’s important, including what they can add and emphasize in this new way of entertaining that would feel more in line with the times.”
