“During my first marriage, Kerstin (Mr. Emhoff’s ex-wife) and I went through difficult times because of my actions. I took responsibility and in the years since, we have overcome everything together as a family and have become stronger,” CNN quoted Mr. Emhoff’s statement.

Previously, the Daily Mail reported that Mr. Emhoff had an affair with his daughter's teacher, leading to the breakdown of his marriage with Ms. Kerstin Emhoff.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the affair was learned by President Joe Biden’s committee in 2020, when Ms. Harris was still on the Democratic Party’s vice presidential ticket. The source said Mr. Emhoff also told Ms. Harris about it before the two were married.

The Daily Mail reported that the woman Mr Emhoff had an affair with became pregnant and decided “not to keep the baby”, according to a close friend of the teacher. In a statement on August 3, Ms Kerstin said: “Doug and I decided to end our marriage for various reasons many years ago. He is a wonderful father to our children and remains a great friend to me.”

Kerstin Emhoff has spoken warmly of Vice President Harris over the years. When Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance criticized Harris for not having biological children, Kerstin noted that the current US vice president raised Emhoff's children as a stepmother.

Mr Emhoff and Ms Kerstin’s marriage ended in 2009 and he married Ms Harris in 2014, when she was California’s attorney general. The second husband of the United States strongly supported his wife in the presidential race, refuting some of the statements of former US President Donald Trump.

Harris is currently at her residence at the US Navy Observatory in Washington DC, completing her screening and interviewing of candidates for her running mate. Media reports say she is expected to announce her vice presidential nominee early next week.