Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter’s appearance at the opening night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday has gone viral online.
Model Ella Emhoff is the 25-year-old daughter of Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, and film producer Kerstin Emhoff. Harris’ family has reemerged in the spotlight since the politician declared she would run for president.
Harris is said to have a close relationship with her stepchildren, who call her “Momala,” and she has previously spoken of her disappointment at having to miss her stepdaughter’s high school graduation because of her duties in Washington.
When Emhoff was spotted in the crowd alongside her father at the DNC on Monday while wearing a “Harris Walz” hat, various people shared their thoughts to X (formerly Twitter)—and opinions varied.
Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Harris for comment on Tuesday, outside of normal business hours.
“CNN keeps zeroing in on Doug Emhoff with his kids at the DNC, and now I really need to know who @ella_emhoff’s tattoo artist is,” Cristina Maza, a journalist covering foreign policy and defense for the National Journal, posted.
Another person reshared a post that highlighted the similarity between pop singer Chappell Roan’s hat she is selling as merch and the “Harris Walz” cap that is being sold as part of their campaign. Both hats feature camo print and orange text.
“Between this and the Brat marketing, the Kamala campaign has recognized the next vital voting bloc,” the post reads, to which the X user simply added a photo of Emhoff wearing the hat at the DNC. This post has been viewed more than 467,000 times.
“Brat marketing” refers to when British-born singer Charli XCX took to X to compliment the former California senator. “kamala IS brat,” she declared in a July 21 post that has gone viral, garnering more than 54 million views as of press time.
The post won the approval of model Emhoff and it eventually became incorporated into Harris’ campaign, resulting in various viral posts.
Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist known for his unwavering support for Donald Trump, didn’t have positive things to say about Emhoff’s appearance at the DNC. He shared a photo of the model with her arm around her father and wrote: “Totally not weird.”
At the time of writing, his post had been viewed 1.3 million times.
Far-right political activist and internet personality Laura Loomer also shared her disapproval in a post on X.
“This is how Kamala Harris‘ step daughter (she has no kids of her own) dressed tonight for his father’s wife’s big night,” Loomer, a self-described investigative journalist and two-time GOP congressional candidate, wrote alongside a photo of Emhoff at the event.
“This family is competing with Biden for the title of trashiest family to occupy the White House.”
This post had garnered over 119,000 views.
Another X user wrote: “Doug Emhoff and his daughter Ella, who fundraised for Hamas-linked UNRWA.”
The UNRWA, otherwise known as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, is a relief and human development agency. The post had been viewed over 189,000 times at the time of writing.
Harris was expected to attend the DNC for President Joe Biden‘s speech, but she surprised everyone by showing up on stage to give brief remarks to attendees. Harris is expected to formally accept the nomination in a speech on Thursday, after winning enough delegates to become the nominee.
The vice president’s blended family has staunchly supported her amid Republican attacks. After footage of Ohio Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, calling Harris and other members of the Democratic Party “childless cat ladies” resurfaced, her stepdaughter pushed back.
“How can you be ‘childless’ when you have cutie pie kids like Cole and I?” Emhoff said in an Instagram story. “I love my three parents.”
Emhoff’s mother also weighed in on the issue, saying in a statement: “For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I. She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it.”
