‘I don’t have a cat, so a dog will have to do!’: Mel Brooks reveals whether he’s eating his puppy or voting for Kamala Harris

Even for a presidential race that has included a historic withdrawal and assassination attempts, perhaps the most bizarre moment has been the unwitting involvement of animals, and comic legend Mel Books has weighed in on that very topic. 

For context, animals have become a surprise part of the race to the White House, from former contender RFK Jr.’s many headline-grabbing interactions with whales and goats (or dogs, depending on who you ask) and bears, to JD Vance’s controversial comments about cat ladies. The potential vice president again invoked our furry companions earlier this month, when he recirculated debunked claims about Haitian immigrants supposedly eating pets in his home state of Ohio. 

That claim was resurfaced by Vance’s boss and Republican candidate Donald Trump during his debate against Kamala Harris, and now, Brooks is one of multiple people who’ve come forward as supporters of both pets and the Democratic campaign. Taking to X over the weekend, the writer-director of Spaceballs and Young Frankenstein shared an image of himself and his dog, using the absolutely adorable picture as his official endorsement of Harris and running mate Tim Walz. 

“I don’t have a cat,” Brooks wrote, presumably in reference to the legions of cat ladies who flocked to Harris’ side following Vance’s comments, “so a dog will have to do!” While he didn’t have the feline friend to prove it, the actor went on to declare himself a member of the cat ladies for Harris movement, led by recent Democrat endorser and queen of the cat lady community, Taylor Swift. 

“Like Taylor Swift I’m all in for [Harris] and [Walz],” Brooks wrote, followed by the hashtag #VoteBlue and call for followers to check their voting registration. With so many cat owners purring into the presidential race, Brooks’ post gives dog-lovers the motivation to also rally behind Harris, and his voice role in the animated dog movie Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank means he has all the credentials needed to inspire this particular demographic. 

It’s a welcome change of tone amongst all the pet-eating political discourse, particularly given the danger that Vance’s racially motivated claims presents to the immigrant community. Brooks is one of multiple celebrities who has thrown their support behind Harris while mentioning their love of pets, with Swift concluding her endorsement message last week with a searing callback to Vance’s comment by signing off as “Childless Cat Lady.” 

For her part, fellow celebrity Glenn Close also touted her cat lady status in opposition to Vance, while actress Jennifer Aniston attacked the potential VP’s comments from a reproductive rights standpoint. Elsewhere, famous faces Bette Midler, Stephen King, Mark Hamill, and Mark Ruffalo have also joined the Harris train, which at this point seems to be powered by pet-lovers and their adorable companions. 

Given how frequently animals have factored into the presidential race, I half-expect Vance to spew some nonsense about goldfish being abducted by illegal transgender aliens, meaning that the little Nemo in my bedroom will be involuntarily drawn into a political fiasco. He simply doesn’t deserve it.