In election years, October is often known, quite infamously, for its “surprises.”
(For the unaware, “October surprises” is a term used to describe news events that could potentially sway a forthcoming November general election.)
The campaign for Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris can’t be thrilled with this latest surprise.
On Wednesday, the U.K.’s Daily Mail published a damning report claiming that second gentlemen Doug Emhoff, Harris’ husband, “forcefully” roughed up a former love interest.
Identified only as “Jane” (a pseudonym), the purported “successful New York attorney” was allegedly struck in the face by Emhoff in a violent incident from May 2012.
Before going any further, it is worth noting that Emhoff has never been charged with any criminal wrongdoing related to this incident.
According to the report, three separate sources close to the ugly incident told the Mail that Emhoff allegedly struck Jane in the face while the two were attending the Cannes Film Festival in France.
Two of the sources claimed that Jane immediately called them from a car, sobbing about the alleged incident. Another source was told of this incident by Jane in 2018.
Will this report affect the Harris campaign?
Yes: 55% (16 Votes)
No: 45% (13 Votes)
Jane and Emhoff had reportedly been dating for three months at the time of this incident.
“It was something like 3 a.m.,” one source told the Mail. “They were trying to get out of there, and they both had been drinking. There was a gigantic line for taxis.
“[Jane] went up to one of the valet guys, offered him 100 Euros or whatever, to get to the head of the line. She told me she put her hand on his shoulder.
“Doug apparently thought that she was flirting and came over and slapped her in the face.”
“She put her hand on the valet’s shoulder, and as she was talking to him, Doug comes up,” another source recounted. “She said he turned her around by her right shoulder, and she was completely caught off guard.
“He hauled up and slapped her so hard she spun around. She said she was in utter shock.”
Jane allegedly slapped Emhoff back and broke up with him that night. As she attempted to leave, Emhoff reportedly forced himself into the cab, despite protests from Jane otherwise.
A third source noted that Emhoff showed zero remorse for the incident, adding, “She had never been hit in her life. [Jane] is a gorgeous, strong woman, and you would never expect somebody to hit her.”
Emhoff, as noted by the Mail, was recently lauded by former White House press secretary Jen Psaki in a Sunday interview for having “reshaped the perception of masculinity.”
This October surprise from the Daily Mail called out that assessment of Emhoff, noting that the second gentleman also has a sordid past — like when he admitted to impregnating a nanny.
The U.K. outlet wasn’t the only place Emhoff was excoriated. The Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway actually claimed that she too had heard murmurs of similar outbursts.
This is a horrifying story. I will say that it matches with something I recently learned from two California individuals who know Emhoff fairly well and said his reputation for poor treatment of women was notorious in their circles. https://t.co/0UBAcs6j6d
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) October 2, 2024
“This is a horrifying story,” Hemingway posted to X shortly after the report came out. “I will say that it matches with something I recently learned from two California individuals who know Emhoff fairly well and said his reputation for poor treatment of women was notorious in their circles.”
The Daily Mail report included photos and communications that helped corroborate many of the claims made.
The Western Journal has reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.
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