Well into the second night of the Democratic National Convention, during an evening when Democrats touted their political wins and strategically attacked the GOP’s record, second gentleman Doug Emhoff took a notably different approach: He tried to be human.
Emhoff attempted to shed light on the private version of Kamala Harris that he knows — a caring mother, a relatable wife — while also trying to be self-deprecating and approachable himself. (At one point, he shouted out his fantasy football league.)
Emhoff also shared the slightly embarrassing story of asking Harris out on a date over voicemail — a voicemail that Harris apparently makes Emhoff listen to every anniversary, leading off with “Heyyyy, it’s Douuuggggg” — and made the case that his wife’s “empathy is her strength.”
“It is what you have seen over these past four years and especially these past four weeks,” Emhoff said. “She finds joy in pursuing justice. She stands up to bullies just like my parents taught me to. She likes to see people do well but hates when they are treated unfairly. She believes this work requires a curiosity in how people are doing.”
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“I’m so proud of how you’re stepping up for all of us, but that’s who she is,” Emhoff added. “Wherever she’s needed, however she’s needed, Kamala rises to the occasion, and she did it for me and our family.”
Emhoff was introduced by his son, Cole, who narrated his father’s personal history in an introductory video — how Emhoff grew up in a middle-class Jewish family, worked at a McDonald’s to fund his college education and was an accomplished entertainment lawyer for over three decades before becoming Harris’ No. 1 supporter when he gave up his career to embrace her vice presidency.
In the video, Cole Emhoff also spoke about his family’s dynamics after his father married Harris.
“Ella and I would laugh watching them fall in love, acting like teenagers,” Cole Emhoff said in the video. Harris “took over Sunday night dinners and actually taught Doug how to cook.”
The second gentleman, in turn, didn’t shy away from personal anecdotes in his speech. He told stories about seeing his wife, while vice president, take calls from his daughter, and he shared that Harris can make a “mean brisket” for Passover.
“It brings me right back to my grandmother’s apartment in Brooklyn,” Emhoff said, “the one with the plastic covered couches.”
Emhoff put his Jewish faith at the center of his address, arguing that even though his wife isn’t Jewish, they still connect over many of his religion’s values.
“Over the past decade, Kamala has connected me more deeply to my faith, even though it’s not the same as hers,” he said. “She comes to synagogue with me for high holiday services, and I go to church with her for Easter.”
“Kamala has fought against antisemitism in all forms of hate her whole career,” he added. “She’s the one who encouraged me, a second gentleman, to take up that fight which is so personal to me.”
While Emhoff mostly tried to keep his address above politics, he still managed to draw some contrasts between Harris and Donald Trump, calling his wife a “joyful warrior.”
“Here’s the thing about joyful warriors,” he added. “They’re still warriors.”
He said Harris knows the best way to deal with a coward is to “take him head on, because we all know cowards are weak and Kamala Harris can smell weakness.”
And even though he was focused on keeping his speech warm, funny and relatable, he still touted Harris’ record as a prosecutor and as a senator. And he made the case that she would be a no-nonsense person who could lead the country.
“She doesn’t tolerate BS,” he said.
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Tinashe Chingarande is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.
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