Summary: Sources tell CNN that Gov. Tim Walz was asked during Kamala Harris’ vice-presidential vetting whether he had ever been an agent of a foreign government after review of past trips to China. Gov. Josh Shapiro says Dana Remus asked if he had been an agent for Israel, a question he called offensive and tied to his Jewish faith. Vetting officials say such questions are standard on disclosure forms and intended to put issues on the record. The revelations have drawn criticism from Jewish leaders and intensified tensions among political figures contemplating future presidential runs.
Harris Vetting Asked Walz And Shapiro If They’d Been Foreign Agents, Sparking Criticism
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appear on stage together during a campaign event in Philadelphia on August 6, 2024. - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/File
Sources familiar with Kamala Harris’ vice-presidential vetting tell CNN that Gov. Tim Walz — who Harris ultimately selected as her running mate — was asked whether he had ever acted as an agent of a foreign government after aides reviewed multiple trips he took to China before seeking office. That same line of questioning later arose with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who says top White House lawyer Dana Remus asked if he had been an agent for Israel, a claim Shapiro recounts in a forthcoming memoir.
What Happened
According to an advance copy of Shapiro’s book obtained by CNN, Shapiro told Remus the question was offensive and wrote that he believed it was asked because he is Jewish. He added that being asked that "said a lot about some of the people around the VP." Walz also reported answering "no" when asked if he had been a foreign agent, people familiar with his vetting said.
Why Vetting Officials Say The Questions Were Asked
People involved in the vetting process say the foreign-agent question is a standard disclosure item on forms used for potential running mates and high-level federal appointees. They say follow-up questions were a logical extension once candidates reached the finalist stage and that vetting requires asking uncomfortable possibilities to put issues on record.
"The crux of vetting is asking uncomfortable and even farfetched questions, especially ones that could be raised by your opponents," a person close to Remus said. "'Have you ever had an affair?' 'Have you ever embezzled state funds?' 'Have you ever been an agent for another country?' The point isn’t that you believe any of it to be true. It’s that the subject needs to be on record with definitive answers."
Reactions And Ramifications
Shapiro’s naming of Remus has reportedly angered some in former president Barack Obama’s circle; Remus worked with Obama in the White House and on post-presidential matters, and Obama officiated her wedding. The episode has also drawn strong criticism from Jewish leaders, who say the questions echo historic antisemitic tropes about dual loyalty.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris speak to the press in Philadelphia on July 13, 2024. - Ryan Collerd/AFP/Getty Images
Deborah Lipstadt, the administration’s former special envoy for antisemitism, called the questions "classic antisemitism." Rabbi David Wolpe, a Los Angeles religious leader, posted on X (formerly Twitter) sarcastically noting that Shapiro’s great-grandfather was a Scranton city councilman and mocking the idea of assuming dual loyalty.
Allies of Harris say the disclosure that Walz faced a similar question was provided to clarify how hurried the vetting process was after Harris replaced Joe Biden on the ticket. Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, has made combating antisemitism a public priority.
Responses
A spokesperson for Harris declined to comment. A Walz spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. A Shapiro spokesperson reiterated that the memoir chapter on 2024 is part of a broader book about the governor’s faith and declined to add further context.
Context: The episode underscores tensions within Democratic circles as key figures consider possible 2028 presidential runs and highlights the difficult balance vetting teams try to strike between thoroughness and sensitivity.
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