Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick argued on Tuesday that Vice President Kamala Harris decided against selecting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to complete the Democratic presidential ticket due to the governor’s “strong stand on Israel” and “Jewish background.”
In a post to the social media platform X, the McCormick campaign revealed the candidate made the remarks during a Jewish community round table in Philadelphia after Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to complete her ticket.
“It’s hard to imagine that Josh’s strong stand on Israel, his Jewish background didn’t somehow factor into the decision,” said McCormick.
McCormick said Harris’ decision against selecting Shapiro comes “at a time when we’re being tested… in terms of our support for Israel,” which he described as “under siege” and subjected to “barbarism” from fighters affiliated with the terrorist organization Hamas.
“We saw the need to stand strong with our ally Israel in eliminating the evil of Hamas, but it’s not just Hamas, it’s Hezbollah, it’s Islamic Jihad,” said McCormick, before describing Iran as the “original sin.”
McCORMICK on Kamala Harris’s VP announcement this morning at a Jewish community roundtable in Philadelphia:
“It’s hard to imagine that @JoshShapiroPA’s strong stand on Israel [and] his Jewish background didn’t somehow factor into the decision.” pic.twitter.com/kCaawIjlyj
— Team McCormick (@TeamMcCormickPA) August 6, 2024
McCormick then noted his opponent, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), “was the deciding vote on the Iran deal in 2015.”
Ultimately, the Republican seemed to argue Harris’ decision to pass over Shapiro could represent the erosion the United States’ relationship with Israel.
“We’re being challenged abroad and America needs to be a strong, steadfast ally to Israel.” he said.
McCormick stated, “I’m worried that we have a slow erosion of the need, that moral courage and leadership.”
Though neither Harris nor Shapiro has publicly explained why he was not selected, The New York Post reported on Tuesday that Harris was personally concerned the governor would steal the “spotlight” and upset anti-Israel members of the Democratic coalition.
Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf, who worked for former President Bill Clinton’s re-election bid, told the outlet Shapiro would have made the Democratic ticket “too pro-Israel” and stated, “Harris doesn’t need a battle over Israel-Gaza.”
While pundits argued Shapiro’s selection would improve the Harris campaign’s odds of defeating former President Donald Trump in the Keystone State, critics of the Biden-Harris administration’s policies on Israel declared the governor an unacceptable choice shortly after President Joe Biden ended his candidacy.
In addition to opposition from anti-Israel Democrats, a coalition of progressives sent Harris a letter claiming Shapiro’s prior support for school choice should preclude him from consideration.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Josh Shapiro” by Josh Shapiro.
