How Kamala Harris’ Husband Has Tackled Antisemitism

Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff is back in the limelight after the vice president was publicly endorsed by Joe Biden as he withdrew from the 2024 presidential election.

If Harris replaces Biden in the presidential race and goes on to beat Donald Trump in the November election, Emhoff would become the first-ever first gentleman of the U.S. and the first Jewish spouse in the white house.

Who is Kamala Harris’ husband?

Emhoff, who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, with two Jewish parents, began his career as an entertainment lawyer, before entering into politics as the first second gentleman of the U.S. when his wife assumed the role of vice president in 2021.

When Harris announced she would be running as a 2020 presidential candidate, Emhoff took a leave of absence from the law firm where he had worked since 2017. After Biden won the election against Trump, the campaign announced Emhoff would permanently leave the firm to avoid conflict-of-interest concerns.

When he became the first second gentleman of the U.S., Emhoff called himself a “wife guy” on X in a show of public support for Harris. The term was defined by the New York Times as “a man who has risen to prominence online by posting content about his wife.”

After Harris was endorsed by Biden following his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, Emhoff has expressed his continued support for his wife in various posts on his X account. In one, he wrote, “Looking back at the past four years, I am so proud of what you’ve accomplished @KamalaHarris. I can’t wait to see what you do in the next four. #Kamala2024.” The post includes a video of them holding hands in celebration and kissing.

What has he done to tackle antisemitism?

Emhoff has been front and center of the Biden administration’s efforts to fight antisemitism.

In December 2022, Emhoff hosted a roundtable at the White House to address the rise in antisemitic incidents across the country. Emhoff described the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. as an “epidemic of hate,” the New York Times reported.

His guest list included domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, senior adviser to the president for public engagement Keisha Lance Bottoms, special envoy Deborah Lipstadt, and leaders and experts from 13 different Jewish groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish on Campus.

In February 2023, Emhoff visited Germany and Poland on a five-day working trip to meet Holocaust survivors in the underground information center in Germany’s central Holocaust memorial, the Times of Israel reported. The trip was intended to offer research and investigation towards a national action plan against antisemitism that Emhoff was working on at the time, which he launched in May 2023.

The plan was the country’s first national strategy to combat antisemitism, NPR reported, and outlined over 100 steps that federal agencies committed to completing within a year, alongside 100 calls for action aimed at all levels of society, from Congress to religious communities.

During the launch, Emhoff said, “Antisemitism is a threat to Jewish communities and all Americans. And it can only be combated with united efforts. We are committed to making sure that everyone can live openly, proudly, and safely in their own communities. It is on all of us to put an end to the visceral hate that we are seeing across our nation. We cannot normalize this.”

Harris, who was raised Christian, has embraced the multi-faith aspect of her family.

In a statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 6, Harris said, “Doug and I have been proud to hang mezuzahs, light menorahs, and host Passover seders. And with each of these actions, we send a message to the world: the Jewish people can overcome evil. We can and we must stand strong in the face of hate.”

Since her public endorsement from Biden, prominent pro-Israel lawmakers spoke to Jewish Insider to show their support for Harris and defend her record on antisemitism.

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