In his first appearance as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff faced a comical version of a question that has been asked of his wife, Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kimmel asked, “What was your reaction when your wife turned Black? Were you surprised?”
“All that stuff, you know, it’s a distraction. We can joke about it, but it’s literally a distraction, so all the insults, all the things coming at her, coming at me, coming at our family, it is really a distraction from what they are trying to do,” Emhoff responded.
Kimmel was referencing Donald Trump’s questioning last month of Harris’ racial identity, something that she has dismissed as the “same old tired playbook” rather than take the bait from her GOP rival.
Emhoff was a Los Angeles entertainment lawyer for 30 years before he became the first Second Gentleman when his wife became the first woman vice president in 2021. As she seeks to become the first female president, he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in which he highlighted her personal side.
He did so again on Kimmel’s show, as he described how they birth realized they had each worked at McDonald’s in their younger days. Harris has cited that fast food experience as she focuses her campaign on bolstering the middle class. Emhoff, however, noted that when he worked there, he once became Employee of the Month.
Ironically, since Harris launched her presidential bid after Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Emhoff said that it has been a bit of a whirlwind, with less “happy couple” time available between him and his wife.
“Everything has changed, and it is like being shot out of a cannon,” Emhoff told Kimmel.
Emhoff made clear to Kimmel that he did not play a part in Harris’ selection of a running mate, nor is he helping her in debate preparations.
When it comes to the campaign, Emhoff said, “The last thing I am going to do is give her advice on something she is really awesome at….I she asks me something I will let her know what I think but we really try to keep that separate because we really want to be there for each other, our family, our kids, all that stuff.”
Emhoff has been giving speeches and headlining fundraisers, including an appearance at a Los Angeles event this evening.
Kimmel asked about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that the president has immunity from prosecution for official acts carried out while in office. The president “can do pretty much what the president wants to do,” Kimmel said. “As her husband, does that worry you at all?”
“Once she gets elected, you know, it gets interesting, ” Emhoff said, in a bit of deadpan.
“As she is preparing for the debate, somebody asked me,” he said. “Well what is it like debating her. You are both trial lawyers. Have you ever? I said, ‘No, I have never won one.’ And so I am looking forward to this.”