CHICAGO — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said antisemitism played no role in his not becoming the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee, as Donald Trump has charged.
Shapiro said Trump was the “least credible person” when it came to standing up against hatred and bigotry.
“He’s trying to use me and he’s trying to use other Jews to divide Americans further,” Shapiro said after concluding remarks Monday morning to the Pennsylvania delegation at the Democratic convention.
Shapiro then said he wanted to be clear: “Antisemitism played absolutely no role in my dialogue with the vice president. Absolutely none. It is also true that antisemitism is present in our commonwealth, in our country and in some areas within our party, and we have to stand up and speak out against that.”
Shapiro, who is Jewish, was a finalist to become Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick. He is popular in Pennsylvania, which is critical to the Democrats’ chances of victory in November.
Harris was thrust into the top of the ticket in late July after President Joe Biden said he would step aside. Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, after sources say she meshed with him personally and thought he’d be an asset to the ticket.
After Shapiro’s remarks, Walz dropped into the morning’s breakfast meeting, surprising the Pennsylvania delegates.
