Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro accused US Vice President Kamala Harris of refusing to pick Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate because Governor Shapiro is Jewish, the New York Post reported.
The Daily Wire host, who is not related to the Democratic governor despite sharing a last name with him, made the comments at a Young Republicans event at Miami University in Ohio last week.
“Kamala Harris was forced to not pick a Jew. I mean, it’s that simple,” Ben Shapiro said. “She didn’t pick Josh Shapiro because Josh Shapiro is a Jew.”
He later told the New York Post that Harris' attempts to pretend that Tim Walz is some magical, unimaginable, unspeakably great candidate over the very popular governor of the one swing state she absolutely, 100% needs to win are failing."
“That’s not why. She didn’t pick him because he’s a pro-Israel Jew and that’s just unacceptable to her pro-Hamas base," he said.
In early August, Harris announced her selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in the presidential election which will be held next month.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish was considered a strong contender to become Harris's running mate. An antisemitic campaign was waged to prevent him from being chosen due to his Jewish identity, pro-Israel views, and support for school choice.
Governor Shapiro is very popular in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state in this year's election which could have been locked in for Harris had she chosen him as her running mate.
Last week, Harris appeared to publicly agree with a protester who interrupted her to accuse Israel of committing “genocide.”
The incident occurred this past Thursday, during a campaign stop at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A pro-Hamas UWM student began yelling out at Harris while she was speaking, video of the exchange showed.
“I am so invested in you all, in every way,” Harris can be heard saying as the interruption began.
“And in genocide right?” the heckler said, adding, “Billions of dollars in genocide. Billions of dollars in genocide.”
Someone off-camera can be heard whispering “shut up” to the heckler, who continued speaking.
Harris then appeared to endorse his view, telling the crowd the issue “was real.”
“Listen, what he’s talking about, it’s real. That’s not the subject that I came to discuss today, but it’s real and I respect his voice,” Harris said after the heckler left.
Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren called on the White House to state unequivocally that Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza following Harris' statement.
“A very dangerous precedent. I was disturbed to view the video in which Vice President Kamala Harris appears to confirm the charge that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza,” Oren wrote on X.
He added, “This is the first time that the White House has been linked to a libel which threatens Israel’s legitimacy and security. I call on the US administration to issue an immediate and complete denial.”
A Harris campaign official had clarified on the weekend, “That is not the view of the Biden-Harris Administration or the Vice President.”