Harris's Staff Questioned Whether Josh Shapiro Was an Israeli Double Agent

"Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was already irritated by what he describes as "unnecessarily contentious" questions from the team vetting him to be Kamala Harris's running-mate, when a senior aide made one final inquiry: "Have you ever been an agent of the Israeli government?" The question came from President Biden's former White House counsel, Dana Remus, who was a key member of Harris's vice presidential search team."

"Shapiro, one of the most well-known Jewish elected officials in the country-and one of at least three Jewish politicians considering a run for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination-says he took umbrage at the question. "Had I been a double agent for Israel? Was she kidding? I told her how offensive the question was," Shapiro writes in his forthcoming book, Where We Keep the Light, a copy of which The Atlantic obtained ahead of its release on January 27th."

"The exchange became even more tense, he writes, when Remus asked whether Shapiro had ever spoken with an undercover Israeli agent. The questions left the governor feeling uneasy about the prospect of being Harris's No. 2, a role that ultimately went to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. After Harris and Walz lost to Trump, many Democrats were critical of her decision to bypass Shapiro, the popular governor of the nation's largest swing state."

During vetting for Kamala Harris's running mate, a senior aide asked Governor Josh Shapiro whether he had ever been an agent of the Israeli government, a question he found offensive. The inquiry came from Dana Remus, President Biden's former White House counsel and a member of Harris's vice-presidential search team. Remus also asked whether Shapiro had ever spoken with an undercover Israeli agent, which heightened tensions. Shapiro, a prominent Jewish elected official and potential 2028 contender, felt uneasy and later removed himself from consideration after clashes with Harris about Israel. Harris ultimately selected Tim Walz, prompting criticism from some Democrats.

Read at The Atlantic