CNN commentator Van Jones suggested Tuesday that antisemitism in the Democratic Party influenced Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision not to choose a Jewish running mate in Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
After the announcement that Harris had chosen Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., to be her running mate on Tuesday, Jones wasn't sure if Shapiro, previously seen as a favorite for the role, lost out because some elements in the party don’t like that he’s Jewish.
"Is it just because he’s a moderate or is there some anti-Jewish bias here?" Jones asked following the news that Harris picked the governor of Minnesota, which hasn't voted for a Republican presidential hopeful since 1972.
"You also have anti-Semitism that has gotten marbled into this party. You can be for the Palestinians without being an anti-Jewish bigot, but there are some anti-Jewish bigots out there," Jones said later in the exchange. "And there’s some disquiet now – and there has to be – how much of what just happened is caving in to some of these darker parts of the party?"
Shapiro had received criticism from the far-left, anti-Israel elements of the Democratic Party for his previous stance on Israel and the Palestinian conflict. Antisemitism on the left has been a rampant issue amid the aftermath of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel and the Jewish state's war in Gaza.
Recently, the governor was forced to comment on pro-Israel statements he made in an op-ed when he was a 20-year-old college student more than 30 years ago. In the column, Shapiro detailed his time with the Israeli Defense Forces, and mentioned his belief that "Palestinians will not peacefully coexist," stating "they do not have the capabilities to establish their own homelands and make it successful even with the aid of Israel and the United States."
Shapiro’s team defended the governor from criticism over the resurfaced op-ed, stating his stance on the subject has evolved. His spokesman Manuel Bonder told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Since he wrote this piece as a 20-year-old student, Gov. Shapiro has built close, meaningful, informative relationships with many Muslim-American, Arab-American, Palestinian Christian, and Jewish community leaders all across Pennsylvania."
Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., blasted Shapiro’s critics on CNN Monday, saying there is a "strong undercurrent of antisemitism" in their attacks.
Jones suggested that could be the case as well. He began by saying that the decision to forgo Shapiro caused some "disquiet in the Jewish community."
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"Some people had their hopes up," he continued. "Maybe you’re going to get another shot at a Jewish vice president. We haven’t had that for two decades, and now that gets pulled away."
The late Sen. Joe Lieberman, who was Al Gore's running mate in 2000, remains the only Jewish candidate on a major party ticket in American history.
After asking if there is some "anti-Jewish bias" that influenced Harris’ decision, Jones noted that anti-Israel Democratic voters can maintain their support for the presumptive presidential nominee.
"I think if you’re a young Muslim, or a young Arab, or someone who’s concerned about Gaza, it gives you a reason to stay excited about Kamala, because that was going to be hard for the party to digest," he said.
