Bad timing?
As Oprah Winfrey shouted out “childless cat lady” during her speech for the loudest cheers of the night at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, television cameras awkwardly focused on a Maryland delegate.
Winfrey, 70, was subtly referencing Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s resurfaced comments in which he claimed the US was run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives.”
“When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion. We don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted,” Winfrey said to the crowd at the United Center.
“No, we just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady — well, we try to get that cat out, too.”
The American TV icon paused to embrace a thunderstorm of applause that broke out when she mentioned “childless cat lady” while the camera panned over to Teresa Woorman — a District 16 delegate at the Maryland House of Delegates.
Woorman leaned into the awkward incident following the former talk show host’s speech, revealing that she referred to herself as a “childless cat lady” when she took her House oath.
“Damn right this childless cat lady is 100% disgusted by J.D. Vance in general and 100% behind @KamalaHarris and @GovTimWalz! Also I may be childless but I do hope that’s not a permanent condition, thanks!” the delegate posted on X.
“Also, funny enough I recently got appointed to a legislative seat. And I got sworn in to the Maryland House of Delegates last week and I referred to myself as a childless cat lady during my remarks. But I’m in good company, @taylorswift13, @Oprah.”
Vance argued in a 2021 interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the Democratic Party was run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”
Despite seeming to be taking a shot at the GOP candidate, Winfrey told the crowd that she still identified as an independent.
“Now there’s a certain candidate that says if we just go to the polls this one time, we’ll never have to do it again,” the billionaire declared to the audience.
“You’re looking at a registered independent who is proud to vote again and again because I’m an American, and that’s what Americans do.”
Winfrey gave her speech on the third night of the DNC at the United Center, where she pledged her support to the party’s soon-to-be presidential nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris.
The best-selling author’s speech received some of the night’s loudest cheers ahead of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz delivering his first major address to voters.
She commended several of her predecessors onstage who she said gave powerful speeches on abortion.
“Now, over the last couple of nights, we have all seen great people walk onto the stage and share their most private pain,” she said.
“They told us their stories of … near-death experiences from having the state deny them the abortion that their doctor explained was medically necessary,” she added.
Earlier, Oprah argued that freedom can mean “standing up to life’s bullies.”
