Kamala Harris' stepdaughter's appearance at the DNC goes viral

Kamala Harris' stepdaughter's appearance on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday went viral on the Internet.

Model Ella Emhoff is the 25-year-old daughter of Harris' husband Doug Emhoff and film producer Kerstin Emhoff. Harris' family has been back in the spotlight since the politician announced 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 commitments in Washington.

When Emhoff was spotted in the crowd at the DNC on Monday with her father wearing a “Harris Walz” hat, several people shared their thoughts on X (formerly Twitter) — and opinions were divided.

Newsweek contacted a Harris spokesperson via email outside of normal business hours on Tuesday seeking comment.

“CNN keeps focusing on Doug Emhoff with his kids at the DNC and now I absolutely need to know who @ella_emhoff's tattoo artist is,” said Cristina Maza, a journalist who covers foreign policy and defense for the U.S. government. National Magazineposted.

Another person re-shared a post highlighting the similarity between pop singer Chappell Roan's hat, which she sells as merchandise, and the “Harris Walz” cap sold as part of her campaign. Both hats feature camouflage print and orange text.

“Through this and the brat marketing, the Kamala campaign has identified the next important 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.

The “brat marketing” refers to the occasion when British-born singer Charli XCX complimented the former California senator. “Kamala IS a brat,” she declared in a July 21 post that went viral, having been viewed more than 54 million times at press time.

The post was approved by model Emhoff and was eventually included in Harris' campaign, leading to several viral posts.

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist known for his staunch support of Donald Trump, had nothing positive to say about Emhoff's appearance at the DNC. He shared a photo of the model with her arm around her father and wrote, “Absolutely 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 expressed her disapproval in a post on X.

“This is how Kamala Harris' stepdaughter (she has no children of her own) dressed tonight for her father's wife's big night,” wrote Loomer, a self-described investigative journalist and two-time Republican congressional candidate, alongside a photo of Emhoff at the event.

“This family is competing with Biden for the title of trashiest family to inhabit the White House.”

This post has been viewed over 119,000 times.

Another X user wrote: “Doug Emhoff and his daughter Ella, raising funds for Hamas-affiliated UNRWA.”

UNRWA, also known as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, is a relief and development organization. The post has been viewed over 189,000 times at the time of writing.

Harris was scheduled to attend the DNC for President Joe Biden's speech, but surprised everyone by coming on stage and giving a brief address to those in attendance. 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 steadfastly supported her despite attacks from Republicans. After footage resurfaced of Ohio Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, calling Harris and other members of the Democratic Party “childless cat ladies,” her stepdaughter fought back.

“How can you be 'childless' when you have sweet kids like Cole and me?” Emhoff said in an Instagram story. “I love my three parents.”

Emhoff's mother also commented on the issue, saying in a statement: “Kamala has been Doug and I's co-mom for over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers. She is loving, caring, extremely protective and always there. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her as part of it.”

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