White House slams Trump for "Antisemitic, dangerous" attack on Shapiro
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Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 21. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro responded to former President Trump's characterization of him as a "highly overrated Jewish Governor," saying the GOP nominee is "obsessed" with him and with "continuing to spew hate."
Why it matters: This is not the first time Trump has received backlash for his attacks on Jewish Democrats.
- Trump previously contended that Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate over Shapiro because Shapiro is Jewish.
- Shapiro denied that assertion, saying antisemitism played "absolutely no role" in his dialogue with the Harris campaign.
Driving the news: Writing in a late-night Truth Social post, Trump framed himself as "the best friend that Israel, and the Jewish people, ever had."
- "The highly overrated Jewish Governor of the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, made a really bad and poorly delivered speech," the GOP nominee wrote.
Zoom out: Shapiro, a key battleground state surrogate for Harris, asked in his Democratic National Convention address Wednesday, "Will we be a nation defined by chaos and extremism, or will we choose a path of decency, honor and continued promise?"
White House spokesperson Herbie Ziskend condemned Trump's comment.
- "It is Antisemitic, dangerous, and hurtful to attack a fellow American by calling out their Jewish faith in a derogatory way, or perpetuating the centuries-old smear of 'dual loyalty,'" Ziskend said in a statement shared with Axios.
- Shapiro also responded to Trump's post, saying, "He's someone who has routinely peddled antisemitic tropes like this."
Flashback: Trump said in a radio interview last month, "If you're Jewish" and vote for a Democrat, "you're a fool, an absolute fool."
- He contended Harris "doesn't like Israel" and "doesn't like Jewish people," also arguing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who Trump had previously targeted for his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has "become a Palestinian."
- In March, the former president said, "Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion."
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that Trump has "stood firmly with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East," arguing "Kamala Harris talks out of both sides of her mouth to appease Hamas sympathizers."
The bottom line: Trump's comments — and the race to November — come against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war and reports of mounting antisemitism nationwide.
Go deeper: Trump's remarks on U.S. Jews spark antisemitism accusations
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a response from the Trump campaign.
