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Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, spoke admiringly of his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, and their blended family Tuesday night, pitching her to voters as a tough but trustworthy leader.
"Kamala is a joyful warrior," Emhoff said, employing a term that has come to define her campaign. "And here’s the thing about joyful warriors: They’re still warriors, and Kamala is as tough as they come."
Emhoff charted his relationship with Harris from their first blind date — "For generations, people have debated when to call the person you're being set up with. And never in history has anyone suggested 8:30 a.m., and yet that's when I dialed." — to how easily she fit in with his family. Emhoff, who has two children from a previous marriage, spoke affectionately about his blended family, which right-wing figures have sought to make a point of attack against Harris for not having biological children.
“Those of you who belong in blended families know that they can be a little complicated,” he said. “But as soon as our kids started calling her ‘Momala,’ I knew we’d be OK.”
Emhoff's speech on the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was a reintroduction of sorts for himself, too. He talked about his childhood in New Jersey and his fantasy football league. The first Jewish spouse of a U.S. president or vice president, Emhoff said that Harris — who is Baptist and was raised in a Christian and Hindu household — has helped deepen his connection to his faith.
Harris is scheduled to accept her party’s nomination Thursday, which Emhoff said is also their 10th wedding anniversary.
He urged voters to trust Harris with their families as he did his.
"America, in this election you have to decide who to trust with your family’s future," he said. "I trusted Kamala with our family’s future; it was the best decision I ever made."