Ella Emhoff, the 25-year-old stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, was photographed visibly distressed on Wednesday as she watched her stepmother deliver her concession speech following Donald Trump’s loss of the presidential election.
Emhoff, a left-leaning activist and daughter of second gentleman Doug Emhoff, was seen crying on the sidelines of the speech at Howard University.
Less than a day after the emotional moment, Emhoff shared an unflattering image of herself crying on her Instagram story, accompanied by a raw caption expressing her deep pain. “Truly no words.
We are all going to get through this. It just f–king hurts like a bitch right now, and that’s ok,” she wrote, offering words of solidarity to her 503,000 followers. She encouraged others to check in on their loved ones, saying, “I’m here for all of you, and I love you guys.”
Emhoff further opened up about her emotions the following day in a post on her Substack series “Soft Pins.” Reflecting on the challenging week, she acknowledged the intense emotional rollercoaster she was experiencing. “I feel like we all need this extra this week,” she wrote. “I know I’ve gone through about ten cycles of sadness, rage, and stress – and that was just this morning,” Emhoff emphasised the importance of embracing these emotions and using creativity as an outlet, admitting that while it may be hard, expressing these feelings helps avoid letting them fester.
Throughout the campaign season, Emhoff had been vocal in supporting Harris, often promoting her stepmother’s presidential campaign.
However, she rarely mentioned President Biden, even during his time as the Democratic nominee. Emhoff has also raised funds for various causes, including those related to Gaza, despite controversy over her stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
She has faced criticism for promoting donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which the Biden administration had defunded earlier in the year amid accusations of its involvement with Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel.
Emhoff, who has publicly stated that she does not identify as Jewish despite her father’s heritage, called for donations to provide “urgent relief for Gaza’s children.” However, some critics argue that such funds could be misdirected. Despite the controversies surrounding her activism, Emhoff’s emotional reactions and public expressions of solidarity continue to resonate with many of her followers.
