JD Vance attacks Democrats for treatment of Shapiro in first visit to Pa. as Trump’s running mate

In his first visit to Pennsylvania since becoming former President Donald Trump’s running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance argued that Vice President Kamala Harris had bowed to her party’s left wing in choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

“When given the opportunity she will bend the knee to the most radical elements of her party, that’s exactly what she did here,” Vance told a crowd of Trump supporters Tuesday at the 2300 Arena in South Philly in remarks about the selection of Harris’ running mate.

Vance’s event came hours after Harris announced she’d picked Walz, passing over Shapiro, who many Pennsylvania Democrats had hoped would be selected. Harris held a rally at Temple University’s Liacouras Center to introduce Walz as her running mate on Tuesday.

The Ohio Republican doubled down on comments he had made earlier in the day, insisting that antisemitism would be the cause if Shapiro was not Harris’ VP pick. Shapiro, the state’s third Jewish governor, had faced opposition from pro-Palestinian progressives over his full-throated support for Israel.

“I genuinely feel bad that for days, maybe weeks, the guy actually had to run away from his Jewish heritage because of what the Democrats are saying about him, I think that’s scandalous and disgraceful,” Vance said.

Contrary to Vance’s claims, Shapiro at no point downplayed his Jewish heritage during the vetting process. Shapiro appeared to respond to this line later Tuesday when speaking at Harris’ rally.

“I am proud of my faith,” Shapiro told the crowd.

In addition to his stance on Israel and its war in Gaza, Shapiro faced scrutiny over his support for private school vouchers and his handling of sexual harassment allegations against a top aide, who has since resigned.

Vance pledged to debate Walz, but only after the Minnesota governor was officially named the vice presidential nominee by the Democratic National Committee.

In an unusual format for a rally, Vance invited Pennsylvanians who had been affected by crime and the opioid crisis to the stage. He then took questions from members of the media who attended the event. Most of the questions focused around Harris’ running mate.

Rabbi Beth Janus, co-president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia, who had hoped Shapiro would be chosen, said Vance was attempting to use antisemitism in the Democratic Party as a “wedge issue.” The rabbi argued that Vance should also look at his own party.

“We have seen an extreme amount of antisemitism in the Republican Party; the embracing of white nationalists is extremely troubling,” Janus said.

Several Jewish Democratic organizations have come out in support of Walz as the VP pick since the news broke Tuesday morning.

Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish. She has also supported Israel as a senator and vice president — though she has called for a cease-fire.

Mark Laino, a lifelong Republican and a watchmaker who lives a few blocks from the arena, said the high-intensity vetting Shapiro underwent in recent weeks felt excessively focused on his Jewish identity and his pro-Israel politics.

Similar to Vance, he said Harris’ decision felt tinged with antisemitism.

“I think that’s very wrong,” Laino said. “How else can you explain it? You take his stance on Israel and I think she was afraid of the backlash.”

While Shapiro had been viewed as a running mate who could appeal to Pennsylvania and moderates, Vance framed Walz as being too liberal — pointing to his energy policies and response to protests in Minneapolis following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

“He is the double-down choice for failed leadership,” he said. “Kamala Harris selected him, I don’t know why but I think it’s because she’s fundamentally a radical herself and she wanted a partner in crime.”

Maureen Fratantoni, a 64-year-old Philadelphia resident who voted for Trump for the first time in 2020, said she had heard bad things about Walz.

“He’ll unleash hell, whatever that means,” Fratantoni said before Vance took the stage.

Since Harris became the likely Democratic nominee the campaign has been focused intensely on a message portraying Vance and Trump as “weird” and “creeps.” Walz was one of the first to adopt that language, calling Trump and Vance “just weird” in an MSNBC interview last month that went viral.

Democrats have narrowed in on Vance’s hard-line anti-abortion stance and his statements criticizing childless Americans, especially women. After a reporter asked Vance a question about his now infamous 2021 remark that Harris and other top Democrats are “childless cat ladies,” one event attendee yelled out “this cat lady loves you.”

Vance, meanwhile, attacked the media for focusing on the comments.

“What I said is very simple, I think American families are good and government policy should be more pro-family. Now, if the media wants to get offended about a sarcastic remark I made before I even ran for the United States Senate, then the media is entitled to get offended,” Vance said before adding that he was offended by grocery costs and the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

Bert Dejong, a 72-year-old rally goer, dismissed the Democratic messaging and said he was instead focused on immigration and inflation.

“Personalities are what you vote on in high school,” said the retired U.S. Coast Guard officer from New Jersey. “Policy is real-world stuff that adults have to vote on.”

Staff writer Fallon Roth contributed to this article.