Governor Josh Shapiro’s Memoir Reveals Vice Presidential Vetting Experience

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s new memoir, “Where We Keep the Light,” offers an in-depth look at his experience as a finalist for Kamala Harris’s vice presidential nomination in the 2024 election. He provides a critical perspective on the vetting he underwent, which he describes as both “offensive” and “unsettling,” especially concerning his Jewish identity and views on Israel.

Despite being viewed as a leading candidate for the role, Shapiro writes about an unusual vetting process that included pointed questions about his loyalty. As an open Zionist who embraces his Jewish background, he has previously condemned antisemitic rhetoric seen during protests following Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023.

Shapiro has been vocal about his support for Israel’s security while also criticizing certain actions taken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A standout moment in the vetting process came when Dana Remus, who was leading Harris’s search, asked him if he had ever served as an “agent of the Israeli government.” Feeling incredulous, Shapiro questioned whether he was being labeled a “double agent,” interpreting it as a challenge to his U.S. loyalty.

When Remus followed up by asking if he had ever met with an “undercover” Israeli agent, Shapiro humorously replied, “If they were undercover, how the hell would I know?”

The tension continued during a personal interview with Harris, where Shapiro claims she pressed him to apologize for his criticisms of pro-Palestine demonstrations at the University of Pennsylvania, a request he rejected. He wrote, “I believe in free speech, and I’ll defend it with all I’ve got,” noting that while much of the speech on campus was peaceful, some wasn’t.

Shapiro also reflected on his impression of Harris, stating that she appeared to “loathe” the vice presidency and described a hierarchy that would have him reporting to her chief of staff without even having his own bathroom.

In a later response to Harris’s memoir, “107 Days,” where she suggested he was overly confident and aimed for a co-presidency, Shapiro labeled her assertions as “complete and utter bull****” and “blatant lies.”

Harris recounted an instance suggesting that Shapiro had reached out to the vice president’s residence prior to their meeting to inquire about room arrangements, asserting, “He mused that he would want to be in the room for each and every decision… I told him bluntly that was an unrealistic expectation.”

Shapiro rebutted that her anecdotes were fabrications meant to “sell books and cover her a**.”

The revelations in Shapiro’s memoir not only spotlight his personal challenges, such as the firebombing of his home, but also underscore deeper divisions within the Democratic Party. Following the details exposed in his book, Jewish advocacy groups have voiced criticisms. Aaron Keyak, a former antisemitism envoy for the Biden-Harris administration, referred to the questions presented to Shapiro as “anti-American” and “discriminatory,” highlighting a double standard compared to other candidates such as Tim Walz and Senator Mark Kelly.