--- title: Harris’ Husband Doug Emhoff Says She’s ‘Pro-Capitalism’ description: The Second Gentleman’s depiction to donors of Harris’ economic vision comes as Donald Trump labels her a communist and nicknames her “Comrade Kamala.” canonical: https://time.com/7015029/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-pro-capitalism-economic-agenda/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-08-27T04:30:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:46:19.774Z article:section: Politics og:title: Harris’ Husband Doug Emhoff Says She’s ‘Pro-Capitalism’ og:description: The Second Gentleman’s depiction to donors of Harris’ economic vision comes as Donald Trump labels her a communist and nicknames her “Comrade Kamala.” og:url: https://time.com/7015029/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-pro-capitalism-economic-agenda/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt93093b203f340b37/698a5a3adb2987609626c022/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Doug Emhoff and Kamala Harris og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Harris’ Husband Doug Emhoff Says She’s ‘Pro-Capitalism’ twitter:description: The Second Gentleman’s depiction to donors of Harris’ economic vision comes as Donald Trump labels her a communist and nicknames her “Comrade Kamala.” twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt93093b203f340b37/698a5a3adb2987609626c022/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Doug Emhoff Pitches Harris’ Economic Vision as ‘Pro-Capitalism’ and ‘Helps Everyone’ > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=d1ea5215-8cf9-4699-b651-b0c1951dad3a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 'She Will Lead With Joy and Toughness': The Key Moments From Doug Emhoff's DNC Speech [Watch (HLS stream): 'She Will Lead With Joy and Toughness': The Key Moments From Doug Emhoff's DNC Speech](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/rssLMtJD.m3u8) (4:17)  _Published 2024-08-21. Doug Emhoff has served as Second Gentleman for four years but as he addressed a packed United Center in Chicago Wednesday night, he spoke as if he was introducing himself to the room and the country for the first time._ by [Amanda Gordon / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Amanda Gordon / Bloomberg Contributor Aug 27, 2024 4:30 AM UTC Doug Emhoff has served as Second Gentleman for four years but as he addressed a packed United Center in Chicago Wednesday night, he spoke as if he was introducing himself to the room and the country for the first time. by [Amanda Gordon / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Amanda Gordon / Bloomberg Contributor Aug 27, 2024 4:30 AM UTC Vice President [Kamala Harris](https://time.com/7009317/reintroduction-of-kamala-harris/) is a pro-growth capitalist who wants a “forward-looking economy that helps everyone,” her husband [Doug Emhoff](https://time.com/7001806/doug-emhoff-career-family-life/) told donors, in what were some of the most revealing comments yet from the Democratic nominee’s allies about her economic vision. The Second Gentleman, speaking at a Sag Harbor, New York, fundraiser on Monday evening, pointed to his own career as a business and media lawyer, and said Harris “understood exactly what I was doing with these clients.” “She totally gets it,” Emhoff told the donors as the vice president continues to stake out an economic pitch to voters in her race against Donald Trump. “Her vision is pro-capitalism, pro-innovation, pro-growth, you know, lots of employment, lots of housing. It’s just forward looking.” **Read More:** [_The Doug Emhoff Model of Masculinity_](https://time.com/7013458/doug-emhoff-dnc-speech-masculinity/) He said Harris would not sit idly “if you cheat, if you take advantage of folks,” referring to her experience as a prosecutor. “There’s got to be consequence for that, because it’s got to be fair, and that’s how she’s going to come at this.” Emhoff spoke at the home of former hedge fund manager Richard Perry and his wife, designer Lisa Perry, who said the event raised $1.5 million for Harris’ election effort. Former President Bill Clinton also spoke. Emhoff’s depiction of Harris’ economic worldview comes as Trump labels Harris a communist, branding her with the nickname “Comrade Kamala.” The vice president, since replacing President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket last month, is seeking to chart her own economic course and separate herself from the dissatisfaction with inflation and the economy that has persisted during Biden’s tenure. **Read More:** [_Fact-Checking Donald Trump’s Commentary on Kamala Harris’ DNC Speech_](https://time.com/7014304/kamala-harris-dnc-speech-trump-splitscreen-commentary-response-factchecks/) Those gathered at the fundraiser included former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, Advent Capital Management LLC’s Tracy Maitland, Dune Real Estate Partners chief executive officer Dan Neidich, Lazard Inc. president Ray McGuire and Tom Freston, a former CEO of Viacom Inc. Two grandchildren of philanthropist Laurie Tisch held boxes of Hershey Kisses with the presidential seal that Emhoff gave them as a gift from Biden. Harris unveiled a plank of her economic platform earlier this month in a speech in North Carolina, calling for an “opportunity economy,” the first major policy roll-out of her campaign. She has proposed an expanded child tax credit, particularly for families with newborns, as well as housing measures to both drive more housing supply and offer $25,000 in subsidies to first-time buyers. She also said she’d push to extend caps on drug costs. All echo or expand on priorities of the Biden-Harris administration. **Read More:** [_Kamala Harris Rolled Out An Ambitious Economic Plan. Here’s What’s In It_](http://Kamala Harris Rolled Out An Ambitious Economic Plan. Here’s What’s In It) Still, she has faced criticism for lacking the specificity of many presidential campaigns. However, that has given the business community hope she might be a more friendly to corporations than Biden. Harris, however, is drawing heavily from policies embraced by the President, including a call to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%. She is largely abandoning some of the more liberal policies she proposed in the 2020 Democratic presidential contest, such as banning hydraulic fracturing or moving away from employer-sponsored health care. Her campaign has also touted her record as California attorney general in campaign ads, including her involvement in a landmark 2012 case that targeted banks for predatory foreclosure practices in the aftermath of the financial crisis. ## Transcript Go through go go My mother is the only person in the whole world who thinks Kamala is the lucky one for marrying me. And to Kamala, who, well, we just saw where she is. She's out on the trail, listening to and talking with voters. Honey, I can't wait for you to come back to Chicago, 'cause we're having a great time here. I love you so much. I'm so proud of how you're stepping up for all of us. But that's who she is. Wherever she's needed, however she's needed, Kamala rises to the occasion. And she did it for me and our family. And now that the country needs her, she's showing you what we already know. She's ready to. She finds joy in pursuing justice. She stands up to bullies, just like my parents taught me to. And she likes to see people do well, but hates when they're treated unfairly. She believes this work requires a basic curiosity and just how people are doing. Her empathy is her strength. Poma has fought against anti Semitism and all forms of hate her whole career. She's the one who encouraged me as second gentleman to take up that fight, which is so personal to me. A few days ago, During this incredible time we're going through. There was a brief window when Kama was back at home. And I saw her sitting on her favorite chair, and in the middle of a wild month, I just hoped that she was having a quiet moment to herself. But then I realized she was on the phone. And of course, my mind went to all the potential crises that the vice president could be dealing with. Was it domestic? Was it foreign? Was it campaign? I could see she was focused. And all I knew was that it must be something important. And it turns out it was. Ella had called her. That's Kamala. That's Kamala. Those kids are her priorities, and that scene was a perfect map of her heart. She's always been there for our children, and I know she'll always be there for yours, too. Kama is a joyful warrior. It's doing for her country, what she has always done for the people that she loves. Her passion will benefit all of us when she's our president. And she knows the best way to deal with a coward is to take him head on, because we all know cowards are weak, and Kamala Harris can smell weakness. She doesn't tolerate any BS. You've all seen that look, and you know that look I'm talking about. That look is not just a mem. It reflects her true belief in honest and direct leadership. And it's also why she will not be distracted by nonsense. C Kamala knows that in order to win, we cannot lose focus. America. In this election, you have to decide who to trust with your family's future. I trusted Kamala with our family's future. It was the best decision I ever made. This Thursday will be our tenth wedding anniversary, which I know I know it means I'm about to hear that embarrassing voicemail again. However, that's not all I'll be hearing. That same night, I'll be hearing my wife, Kamala Harris, accept your nomination for President of the United States. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7015029/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-pro-capitalism-economic-agenda/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7015029/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-pro-capitalism-economic-agenda/"},"headline":"Doug Emhoff Pitches Harris’ Economic Vision as ‘Pro-Capitalism’ and ‘Helps Everyone’","datePublished":"2024-08-27T04:30:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T07:46:19.774Z","description":"The Second Gentleman’s depiction to donors of Harris’ economic vision comes as Donald Trump labels her a communist and nicknames her “Comrade Kamala.”","url":"https://time.com/7015029/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-pro-capitalism-economic-agenda/","keywords":["2024 Elections","wire","overnight","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt93093b203f340b37/698a5a3adb2987609626c022/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amanda Gordon / Bloomberg"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt93093b203f340b37/698a5a3adb2987609626c022/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Doug Emhoff and Kamala Harris","caption":"Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff after Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 22, 2024.","creditText":"Yalonda M. 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