Josh Shapiro Alleges Kamala Harris Campaign Sidelined Him, Sparks Debate Over Israel Vetting

The VP Snub And The Book's Allegations

Shapiro—widely regarded as a strong governor in a crucial swing state—was reportedly bypassed for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. In the book, Shapiro describes feeling marginalized by Harris' team and offended by certain lines of questioning. The author of this piece publicly stated a preference for Shapiro over Harris and criticized the choice of Walz.

Vetting, Israel, And Concerns About Stereotypes

Coverage of the book highlighted the campaign's questioning of Shapiro about his ties to Israel. Critics argued that pressing a Jewish public figure on loyalty to Israel risks echoing a longstanding antisemitic stereotype that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their own country. Shapiro—who is Jewish and was previously the target of an arson attack during Passover—says he found those questions offensive and told the campaign so.

At the same time, some observers noted context that may explain why vetters asked about Israel: Shapiro spent approximately five months living and studying in Israel during college and volunteered on service projects at an Israeli military base, according to The New York Times. Shapiro has maintained that these were non-combat service projects. Given that Israel has been a salient issue within parts of the Democratic coalition, reporters and voters could plausibly have probed his background as part of routine vetting.

Comparisons With Walz And Media Coverage

The Harris campaign also vetted Walz on his ties to China. In retrospect, some commentators say the vetting should have emphasized Walz's record of governance in Minnesota, which has come under scrutiny since. Meanwhile, Harris has struggled to attract consistently positive press—recent coverage in Politico suggested there is no clear constituency clamoring for her return—while Shapiro has received flattering profiles, such as a December piece in The Atlantic noting his cool demeanor.

HHS Misattribution And Account Inheritance

The newsletter also calls attention to a misleading post from the official Health and Human Services (HHS) X account that accused Shapiro of having "forced masks on babies and toddlers" during the COVID-19 pandemic. That criticism was inaccurate: Shapiro did not hold the governorship during the pandemic—he took office in 2023. The post in question quoted and screenshotted an older tweet from former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on the official governor's account. Because official accounts remain the state's property and merely update their profile when officeholders change, old posts can appear under a new incumbent's picture and thus be misunderstood as authored by a successor.

This account-inheritance quirk has created similar misattributions before. Journalist Glenn Greenwald highlighted an old post from former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that now appears under the account of current Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Other Political Notes In The Newsletter

The author also addresses recent political controversies and cultural moments: two left-leaning comedians apologized after suggesting Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D–Texas) was unlikely to win the Texas Senate race and that party resources would be better allocated elsewhere. The author argues the critique was about electability—not race or gender—citing Crockett's gaffe-prone moments as context.

Personal And Media Projects

The writer notes they are joined on the week's discussion by Amber Duke, and plugs a new show called Freed Up with Christian Britschgi. They also provide an update on a fantasy novel in progress: roughly two-thirds complete, with one-third in good shape, another third requiring revision, and the last third still being written. The author aims to finish by the end of the next month, though that timeline is acknowledged as ambitious.

This piece originally appeared on Reason.com.