Who is Doug Emhoff? Everything we know about the potential first gentleman
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Doug Emhoff, husband of Kamala Harris, gave a powerful, and personal, speech at the Democratic National Conference. Here's what you need to know about the potential first ever first gentleman of US politics.
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In brief...
- Doug Emhoff is the second gentleman, and will become the first gentleman if Kamala Harris wins the US election.
- He is a former lawyer, and has been an outspoken advocate for reproductive rights since coming into the political spotlight.
- The News Agents says his speech at the Democratic National Conference was an important moment in giving potential voters and insight into Kamala Harris's life outside of politics.
What’s the story?
Who is Doug Emhoff? That's a question you might not have asked yourself before a few months ago.
Emhoff is the husband of Kamala Harris, who you probably have heard of, and he was among the speakers on the fourth day of the Democratic National Conference on Wednesday night.
Even some of politics' sharpest minds are only now learning about Emhoff, with Emily Maitlis of The News Agents admitting this was the first time she'd ever heard him speak.
Emhoff is the second gentleman, the first to hold that title in US history, and if Harris wins the election for the Democrats, he will become the first US first gentleman.
But what else is there to know about Doug Emhoff, the man who wooed the potential future-president with an embarrassing voicemail?
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Who is Doug Emhoff?
Doug Emhoff was born in New York, and became a Los Angeles entertainment lawyer, and practiced since the early 1990s, stepping down from his legal career when Harris became Vice President after Joe Biden's successful run in 2020. He now teaches at Georgetown Law School in Washington DC.
Emhoff is the first Jewish partner of a US President or Vice President, and since becoming the second gentleman, he has become a vocal advocate against antisemitism in the US, as well as an advocate for reproductive rights and abortion access.
He is the father of two children – Cole and Ella Emhoff, who are Kamala Harris's stepchildren, and has their initials tattooed on his wrist. They were in the crowd at the Democratic National Convention this week, supporting their stepmother, who they refer to as "Momala", which became widely known when it was mentioned during an interview with Drew Barrymore on her US talk show.
Emily Maitlis confesses that she feels "too British" for that sort of nickname.
Also in attendance was Kerstin Macken, Doug Emhoff's first wife, who joked on X/Twitter that she was offering more support to her ex-husband and his family than Melania Trump had given to her husband, Donald.
They divorced after he had an affair, which Harris was aware of before they married, but the former spouses remain close friends.
What did Doug Emhoff say in his speech?
As well as supportive messages about how Kamala Harris is "ready to lead" America, he also painted a picture of Kamala Harris as a step-mother and wife, and shared (with thousands) the awkward story of how the two first met.
Emhoff told a self-deprecating story about how he phoned Kamala Harris at 8:30am, after being given her phone number by a mutual friend who wanted to set the pair up on a blind date.
He also revealed Harris, who often refers to her husband as "my Dougie", kept the voicemail, and makes him listen to it every anniversary – this year the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary falls on the same day as Harris will be confirmed as the Democratic Party nomination for the November election.
"He's laughing at himself, which I think is critical," says Emily Maitlis.
"One of the things you never, ever hear Trump do is laugh at himself. What have you got with both Emhoff and Tim Walz? You've got this ability to laugh at themselves."
He also spoke about their "blended family", which Emily believes was a subtle dig at JD Vance, who has made comments about Democrats being "childless cat ladies", among other comments about women and their roles within a defined idea of a family.
"His role was very clear there to show the personal side of Kamala, the female side of Kamala, and to show how central she is to his own blended family," Emily says.
What's The News Agents take?
There's more to Doug Emhoff's appearance at the DNC, and speech, than just painting the Democratic nominee as a caring step-mum and wife.
And that is to humanise the potential future president, and give swing voters something to talk about with their friends.
"They're not going to start talking about job numbers down the bar," says Emily.
"But they might tell the story of how Doug Emhoff left a terrible voicemail for his wife-to-be when they first met, because that is the kind of thing that they think other people can relate to.
"It's about whether your daughter, or your son, finally starts talking to your partner as if they were part of the family. Because that's something that people can relate to."
And while she admits this sort of thing can sound "schmaltzy" and "cutesy" to British people, it's the sort of thing that can work in the US.
"That's the stuff that they reckon will actually start to move, not just the vibes, but the numbers as well," she concludes.
Listen in full on The News Agents.
