Many Jewish residents of Pennsylvania are concerned that US Vice President Kamala Harris chose to add Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the Democratic ticket rather than their Governor, Josh Shapiro, the New York Post reported.
University of Pennsylvania graduate Eyal Yakoby told the Post that Harris "miscalculated" by not picking Shapiro, who is Jewish and was targeting in an antisemitic campaign that sought to keep him off the Democratic ticket over his support for Israel.
“I think there was an opportunity to show America, show the world, that we’re not getting consumed by these fringe radical groups," Yakoby said.
“I think at the end of the day, it’s very obvious that he was targeted for his Jewish faith," he added.
In a post to X, Yakoby wrote, "If you're watching Shapiro's speech in Philadelphia and not wondering, 'How was this guy not the VP pick?' then you're not paying attention."
Another user on X who said they live in Pennsylvania's Bucks County wrote that Harris has "lost my vote and I'm going out volunteering to turn as many votes against her as possible" after Walz was chosen over Shapiro.
An X user named Esther wrote, "For me it’s not just that she didn’t choose Shapiro. She chose the one candidate endorsed by all the worst antisemites on the left. The message this sends to me is frankly chilling. I can’t vote Trump but my party left me. I’m in such shock at the far left. I’m terrified."
Another X user named Jannet wrote, "This choice speaks entirely to her character. As a Jew it's terrifying but I'm more scared of what it means for our country."
Not all Jewish voters said that their discomfort with Harris's pick would dissuade them from voting for her. One person wrote, "I'm a Jewish Montgomery County voter who liked Kelly and was starting to really like the idea of Shapiro even though I have my issues with him. I really think the far left got to Harris and that pisses me off. Take time and let it sink in but do the right thing and vote for her."
Harris's decision not to pick the popular Governor of Pennsylvania puzzled many because Pennsylvania is a crucial swing state in this year's presidential elections. Republicans have argued that the reason Shapiro was passed over was the antisemitism in the left-wing flank of the Democratic party.
Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump claimed that Harris did not pick Shapiro, whom he said would have been a stronger choice than Walz, as her running mate because of his Jewish heritage.
“I’m no big fan of Josh Shapiro. I know the state very well … but I would have said it would have been a better choice,” the former President said.
“I have very little doubt … it was because of the fact that he’s Jewish, and they think they’re going to offend somebody else,” Trump added, repeating his previous claim that any Jewish person who votes for Democrats should “have their head examined.”
Trump’s running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, opined on Tuesday that if does not choose Josh Shapiro, "it will be due to the antisemitism within their own caucus and party.”
He added, “It's disgraceful that Democrats have reached a point where this is even an open conversation. And it is an open conversation. Even if it is Josh Shapiro, he has had to distance himself from parts of his biography because the far left doesn’t like the fact that he is a Jewish-American. We have to be honest about this fact and call it out."
US House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made a similar argument in an interview with The Hill.
“I think that clearly was a major factor, is that she was reluctant to put a vice presidential nominee on the ticket with Jewish heritage because they’re having a split in the Democratic Party,” Johnson said. “They have a pro-Palestinian, in some cases pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party.”
“Sadly for Josh Shapiro, because of his heritage, I think that is the reason he was overlooked,” Johnson added.
The Harris campaign has denied accusations that antisemitism played a role in the Vice President's choice of running mate.