Cole Emhoff remembers Kamala Harris joining his family in DNC video

Cole Emhoff had a rare moment in the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, August 20, when he lent his voice to a video about the influence his stepmother, Kamala Harris, has had on his family since she married his father, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

“My parents split up when I was in middle school, and that wasn't easy. That's not easy for any kid,” Cole said in the video, referring to the split of his father and mother, Kerstin Emhoff, in the late 2000s. “But it helped that my parents stayed friends and we all stayed together. We've become closer than ever.”

During Cole's senior year of high school, Doug met then-California Attorney General Harris – “the blind date that would dramatically change all of our lives forever.”

“[My younger sister] “Ella and I laughed as we watched them fall in love and act like teenagers,” recalls Cole, now 29. “In 2014, Kamala became Momala. She took over Sunday night dinner and taught Doug how to cook properly.”

Cole also addressed the Emhoffs' unexpected foray into politics.

“Our blended family was not used to politics or the spotlight, but when Kamala became a senator, we were all excited to step into the breach. Especially my dad,” he said in the video. “Then Kamala became vice president. It felt like Doug was a little out of place on Capitol Hill. I thought, 'What is my goofy dad doing here?' But he embraced it… I was so proud to watch him stand by her side, an example of true partnership.”

In October 2023, Harris officiated Cole's wedding to Greenley Littlejohn. A few days later, she met with PEOPLE at the Vice President's official residence for an in-depth interview in which she expressed her gratitude for participating in the broadcast.

“It meant so much to me for so many reasons,” Harris told PEOPLE about the ceremony. “It was so wonderful that the kids asked me to do it.”

She continued: “For us, marriage is not just a union between two people, but a coming together of families. It is in this spirit that we all participated.”

The 2024 Democratic National Convention, which began on Monday, August 19, will culminate on Thursday evening with a closing speech by Harris, during which she will ceremoniously accept the nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate.

The program on Tuesday evening included numerous guests of honor, including John F. Kennedy's grandson Jack Schlossberg, Jimmy Carter's grandson Jason Carter, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former presidential couple Barack and Michelle Obama.

The Second Gentleman, who would become the country's first First Gentleman if Harris is elected, was also chosen to deliver the speech on Tuesday evening.