Candice Bergen comes full circle at the 2024 Emmys.

Onstage at the 76th annual awards ceremony, Bergen gave a speech before presenting the nominees for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The actress took a moment to poke fun at the parallels between her acting career and the current political climate, referencing her popular ’80s sitcom Murphy Brown.

“For 11 years I had the wonderful privilege of starring in a comedy series called Murphy Brown“, said Bergen, 78. “I was surrounded by brilliant and funny actors, had the best scripts to work with and in a classic moment, my character was attacked by Vice President Dan Quayle when Murphy became pregnant and decided to raise the baby as a single mother.”

“Oh, we’ve come a long way,” Bergen, who has a daughter, said sarcastically. “Nowadays, a Republican candidate for vice president would never attack a woman for having children. So as they say, my work here is done. Meow!”

Bergen was referring to now-viral comments by vice presidential candidate JD Vance in which he mocked “childless cat ladies.”

Earlier in the show, Selena Gomez also referenced Vance’s comments during a monologue with Only murders in the building co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short.

“Steve, I just want to tell you what an honor it is to work with someone who looks like he fell and can’t get up,” Short joked.

Martin responded: “And I have to say it’s an honor for me to be able to work with someone who looks like a former female tennis champion.”

Gomez then noted, “And let me just say, what an honor it is to work with two men who are so far removed from childless cat ladies.”

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Vance’s comment has led to several celebrities speaking out against him, including Taylor Swift, who came out in support of Harris after the Sept. 10 debate.

“I will be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” Swift began in an Instagram post, alongside a photo of herself cradling a cat. “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes that I believe need a warrior to defend. I think she is a determined, talented leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country when we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so encouraged and humbled by her choice of running mate @timwalz, who has been advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to control her own body for decades.”

“I’ve done my research and I’ve made my choice. It’s completely up to you to do your research and make the choice. I also want to say, especially to first-time voters, remember that you have to be registered to vote! I also find it much easier to vote early. I’ll link in my story to where you can register and where you can find the dates and information for early voting.”

Swift subsequently signed the statement as “Childless Cat Lady,” a reference to comments made by Trump’s 2021 running mate, J.D. Vance.

Watch PEOPLE’s complete coverage of the 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, broadcast live on ABC from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.