The wives of American presidents are known as first ladies. However, if the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris makes history in November as America's first female president, her husband Doug Emhoff will be the first "gentleman" in the country's history. It would be the second time that Emhof entered history, after almost four years, as the husband of the vice president, he was known as the "second gentleman".
Dag Emhof was his wife's biggest fan for almost four years.
"I love you so much. I'm so proud of how you fight for all of us," Emhof said earlier.
That's the role the former entertainment industry attorney will play if Kamala Harris is elected president. If the Democratic candidate wins, Emhof will be the first spouse of the president-elect.
“I will have the same approach. Where can I be most useful to her as a husband? I support her, I love her and I am always with her, but also how can I help her as president, help the administration, the American people, by being the first gentleman, and what problems can I solve?", he says.
Emhoff married Harris in 2014. As she became more politically influential, Emhoff very publicly embraced the role of a supportive spouse to her political career.
Kelly Dittmar, from Rogers University, says that "he made it clear: "I am not above these supporting roles. I don't want anyone to think that because I'm a man, I can't just play that role of someone who supports her."
Emhoff left his law firm job and began teaching at Georgetown University when Harris became vice president. He says that his wife encouraged him to independently determine the role of the other gentleman.
"Since I am the first in the role of the second gentleman, I talked about gender issues. I talked a lot about gender equality, equal pay, family leave, child care," said Emhof.
In the United States, the spouses of top officials have always been women. However, Emhoff has proven to be adaptable, says Anita McBride of American University.
"He talks about their family life, he says directly: "I'm here to do my role. My most important job is to support the vice president," says McBride.
Emhoff, who is Jewish, also spearheaded the Biden administration's anti-Semitism initiative.
Wives of presidents or first ladies have traditionally focused on social activities, such as overseeing state dinners and approving holiday decorations for the White House.
"You look at the food and the flowers and the china. Is that going to be something he wants to do? Maybe yes, maybe not," says McBride.
As president of the Senate Spouses Organization, Emhof has already shown a willingness to embrace that tradition.
"There were lunches and events at the vice president's residence, so I just made sure to participate in those traditional gatherings. There are some traditions that I expect to faithfully observe as first gentleman," says Emhof.
First ladies typically donate their inaugural attire to the Smithsonian in Washington. Whether a men's suit will soon join that collection remains to be seen.
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