Video footage of Kamala Harris' stepdaughter reacting to her father's speech at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday has been shared on social media.
Model Ella Emhoff, the 25-year-old daughter of Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, and film producer Kerstin Emhoff, has been the focus of increased attention since the vice president declared her intentions to run for president.
Harris is said to have a close relationship with her stepchildren, including 20-year-old Cole Emhoff, who call her "Momala." The vice president has previously spoken of her disappointment at having to miss her stepdaughter's high school graduation because of her duties in Washington.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff on Tuesday gave a speech at the DNC, where he talked about his love for Harris and how proud of her he is.
"I love you so much," he said during his speech at the Chicago event. "I'm so proud of how you've stepped up for us. But that's who she is. Wherever she's needed, however she's needed, Kamala rises to the occasion."
As the speech came to an end and Doug Emhoff exited the stage, video footage showed Ella Emhoff looking at her father from the audience adoringly as she clutched her chest, before embracing her grandmother, Barbara Emhoff. At one stage she raised a "Doug" placard in appreciation.
With the New Radicals' classic 1990s track You Get What You Give serving as the post-speech soundtrack, a visibly proud Ella Emhoff was shown smiling broadly before laughing and covering her mouth.
The 15-second footage was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by political account The Recount. "Ella Emhoff is clearly touched by her father's speech at the DNC," read an accompanying caption.
During his speech, lawyer Doug Emhoff, who met Harris through Chrisette Hudlin, a client at the time, said: "In 2013, I walked into a contentious client meeting. We worked through the issue and by the end of the meeting, the now happy client offered to set me up on a blind date."
"For generations, people have debated when to call the person you're being set up with. Never in history has anyone suggested 8:30 a.m.," he went on. "I got Kamala's voicemail; I just started rambling: 'Hey it's Doug. I'm on my way to an early meeting. Again, it's Doug.'"
Doug Emhoff spoke about the embarrassment he felt, trying to take back his words. Harris, however, saved the voicemail and has made her husband listen to it on every anniversary. The two will celebrate their tenth anniversary on Thursday when Harris is set to speak at the DNC.
From a professional standpoint, the second gentleman told the crowd of Harris supporters: "She's showing you what we already know: she's ready to lead. She will be a great president we will all be proud of."
Harris entered the race for the White House in July, after President Joe Biden announced that he would not be seeking reelection, and she is making progress in the polls in her election showdown with former president Donald Trump.
Images of Ella Emhoff at the DNC have been going viral since the convention started on Monday. She has also shared her approval of singer Charli XCX's viral social media post backing former California Senator Harris.
Ella Emhoff signed a deal with powerhouse agency IMG Models following Biden's 2021 inauguration. The model has posed for a range of high-end and popular labels, including Mulberry, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Simone Rocha, Calvin Klein, Miu Miu, Lacoste, Stella McCartney, and Proenza Schouler.
In a New York Times interview after Biden and Harris won the election in 2020, Emhoff described the relationship between her parents and her stepmother as positive.
"They have good communication between the three of them. They are really a unit, like a three-person parenting squad. It's really cool," she told the publication.
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 post. "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."
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