- Shapiro publicly calls Kamala Harris’s memoir accounts “blatant lies,” accusing her of fabricating details to sell books and dodge accountability.
- He defends his vetting behavior, saying their exchange was mutual and criticizes narratives portraying him as controlling and selfish.
- Shapiro warns Democrats must reconnect with working-class voters, emphasizing competence and outreach ahead of 2028 while remaining a potential frontrunner.
In a candid interview that has set political circles buzzing, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro didn’t hold back when confronted with excerpts from Kamala Harris’s new memoir, “107 Days.”
The book, which details her ill-fated 2024 presidential run, paints a less-than-flattering picture of Shapiro during his vetting as a potential running mate.
But Shapiro fired back, labeling her accounts as outright fabrications designed to boost book sales and dodge accountability for her campaign’s shortcomings.
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The exchange, detailed in a lengthy profile by Tim Alberta in The Atlantic, reveals tensions that have been simmering since Harris opted for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her VP pick instead.
Shapiro, who was seen as a frontrunner for the role given his popularity in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, expressed visible frustration when Alberta read him passages from the book.
Shapiro’s Response to Harris’ Memoir
According to the profile, Harris accused Shapiro of dominating their interview conversation, pushing for a say in every decision, and even inquiring about displaying Pennsylvania art in the vice-presidential residence at the Naval Observatory.
“She wrote that in her book?” Shapiro reportedly responded to the art detail, his composure cracking.
“That’s complete and utter bullshit.”
He didn’t stop there.
“I can tell you that her accounts are just blatant lies,” Shapiro added, emphasizing that he had simply asked questions during what he viewed as a partnership discussion.
“Wouldn’t you ask questions if someone was talking to you about forming a partnership and working together?”
The governor’s irritation peaked when he suggested Harris’s motivations were less about truth and more about self-preservation.
“I mean, she’s trying to sell books and cover her ass,” he snapped, before quickly regretting the phrasing.
“I shouldn’t say ‘cover her ass.’ I think that’s not appropriate. She’s trying to sell books. Period.”
This isn’t just a petty spat between two ambitious Democrats—it’s a window into the lingering resentments from a campaign that saw Harris lose key battlegrounds, including Pennsylvania, to Donald Trump.
Shapiro, who has maintained sky-high approval ratings around 60% in a state that’s notoriously tough on politicians, has positioned himself as a bridge-builder.
But his comments highlight how even within the party, there’s finger-pointing over what went wrong in 2024.
Behind the Vetting Drama: What Really Happened?
To understand the beef, you have to rewind to the summer of 2024.
Harris, fresh off replacing Joe Biden at the top of the ticket, was scrambling to pick a running mate.
Shapiro, with his track record of winning statewide races and appealing to moderate voters, was a top contender.
But whispers of anti-Semitic undertones in the opposition to his candidacy—Shapiro is Jewish—left him on edge during the process.
In her memoir, Harris describes their meeting as tense, with Shapiro allegedly flipping the script and interviewing her instead.
She claims he insisted on being “in the room for every decision” and even brought up trivial matters like the size of the VP residence.
Shapiro, however, insists that’s a distortion. He arrived “in an edgy mood,” irked by behind-the-scenes sabotage, but maintains the conversation was mutual.
The two, who have known each other for about 20 years, skipped small talk and dove straight into substance—or at least, that’s Shapiro’s take.
What stings most for Shapiro, per the profile, is how Harris’s portrayal echoes old knocks against him: that he’s overly ambitious, selfish, and controlling.
It’s the kind of narrative that’s dogged him throughout his career, from his days as a congressional aide to his time in elected office. And coming from someone he’s known for decades?
It feels personal.
Shapiro’s Broader Critique: Democrats Need to Wake Up
But Shapiro’s beef with Harris isn’t isolated—it’s part of a larger frustration with how Democrats have handled the Trump era.
In the same Atlantic piece, he pulls no punches about his party’s failures in connecting with everyday voters, especially in rural and working-class areas.
“Democrats lost ground in some of these communities by failing to show up and failing to treat people with a level of respect that they deserve,” Shapiro told Alberta.
He points to Trump’s ability to forge a “deeper cultural level” connection with these voters, even if it’s built on what Shapiro calls lies—like promises to protect entitlements that Trump later tried to cut.
Take Pennsylvania’s Medicaid expansion: Shapiro fumes that Trump’s first major bill aimed to gut it, stripping coverage from hundreds of thousands in communities that backed him.
“And that pisses me off—that he showed up in these communities, lied to these good people, and then turned around and completely fucked them over by taking away their health care to pay for a tax cut for people in the highest income brackets who do not need them.”
Shapiro’s approach? Show up.
He spends days on the road, visiting places like Potter County to announce grants for local businesses, surprising residents who aren’t used to seeing Democrats in their neck of the woods.
He’s dropped college-degree requirements for state jobs, boosted vocational training, and even worked with Republicans to lift a ban on Sunday hunting—moves that scream “I’m listening” to forgotten corners of the state.
Why This Matters for 2028 and Beyond
With eyes already on the 2028 presidential race, Shapiro’s profile positions him as a potential Democratic frontrunner.
He’s never lost an election, boasts crossover appeal (polls show about 30% of Trump voters in Pennsylvania also back him), and emphasizes competence over chaos.
But this dust-up with Harris raises questions: Can Democrats unite after such a bruising loss? Or will internal sniping hand Trump and his allies more ammunition?
Shapiro himself seems focused on the bigger picture. He criticizes past Democratic missteps, like Barack Obama’s 2008 comments about small-town voters “clinging” to guns and religion, or Hillary Clinton’s “deplorables” remark—both made at elite fundraisers, which he sees as emblematic of the party’s disconnect.
“The vast majority of people that I confront every day are really good people,” Shapiro says, stressing that elections are binary choices and that dismissing Trump supporters wholesale is a mistake.
In a post-2024 world, where exhaustion with politics runs high, his message of humility and respect could resonate—or it could get lost in the noise.
As for Harris?
Her memoir might sell copies, but it’s clear the fallout with figures like Shapiro could linger.
In politics, as Shapiro knows all too well, today’s headlines are tomorrow’s hurdles.
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