Ex-Obama, Biden officials fume over Shapiro's claim in new book
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is facing a backlash from Democratic Party leaders over his recent claim that he faced additional scrutiny to become Kamala Harris' vice-presidential nominee because he's Jewish.
Why it matters: Shapiro's account in his new book has exposed some of the tension over antisemitism within the party that's likely to play out in the 2028 presidential primary — which could include at least three Jewish candidates.
- It's also put Shapiro at odds with some senior leaders of the Democratic Party from the Obama and Biden administrations who believe he is cynically using antisemitism to score political points.
Driving the news: Shapiro's version of events appears in "Where We Keep the Light: Stories from a Life of Service," due out Tuesday.
- Shapiro wrote that when Harris was vetting him to be her VP pick, longtime Democratic lawyer Dana Remus asked: "Have you ever been an agent of the Israeli government?"
- "Was she kidding? I told her how offensive the question was," Shapiro recounted.
- In an interview on CBS' Sunday Morning, he added: "I love this country, and for someone to question that, for someone to question my loyalty — particularly as someone who is as open about his faith as he is — was offensive to me."
Shapiro briefly worked for the Israeli embassy's public affairs division decades ago, and some Democrats agreed with his assessment.
- Deborah E. Lipstadt, the Biden administration's special envoy to fight antisemitism, posted on X: "These questions were classic antisemitism."
The intrigue: But Shapiro's account infuriated many top Democrats who thought it was a cheap shot at Remus, who was White House counsel to President Biden and a top lawyer for President Obama.
- "Asking a high-level appointee if they have ever been a foreign agent is a standard vetting question," Ron Klain, Biden's former chief of staff, told Axios. He cited Standard Form 86, which national security officials fill out for vetting. It includes questions about foreign government interactions.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential 2028 rival who's also Jewish and was vetted for Harris' VP slot, told reporters this week that he didn't think the questions he was asked during the vetting were inappropriate.
- "The questions are tough," Pritzker said. "I think you've got to be tough during the process."
- Shapiro said on CBS: "I understand they had a job to do, to ask me those questions. I think it went beyond just checking a box on a questionnaire."
Shapiro spokesperson Manuel Bonder told Axios: "The 2024 election is one small part of his much broader story — and the governor looks forward to sharing much more about this book and the stories within it very soon."
