Axelrod suggests Harris passing over Shapiro was ‘mutual’ decision

Democratic strategist David Axelrod suggested Vice President Harris’s decision not to tap Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) as her running mate was a “mutual” one between the two Democrats, rather than a one-sided conclusion.

Axelrod, speaking with CNN’s Dana Bash during a roundtable Tuesday, pushed back on the anchor’s suggestion Shapiro was passed over due to having what she described as “top of the ticket energy, not VP energy”.

“I don’t think he was excluded for that reason. I’m not sure he was excluded at all. I think there was a mutual meeting of the minds as to whether this was the right fit for him with her,” Axelrod said.

His remarks came shortly after Harris announced she picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as her running mate, over other shortlist candidates including Shapiro and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.).

CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel, speaking during the roundtable, pointed to the network’s reporting from sources who said Shapiro “sort of set the stage” to not be tapped as Harris’s running mate.

“Even going into this election, Josh Shapiro had some, let’s just say hesitancy or questions about whether he wanted to be the No. 2,” Gangel said, adding later, “and he is someone who definitely has ambitions to run, and he was looking at down the road.

“We have new reporting tonight from our team, that in fact, when he went into his vetting meeting and also in his in-person meeting with Harris, he made it very clear what kind of vice president he wanted this to be,” she added. “It was much more of a two for the price of one. He wants to be in the room; he wanted to have a real say in these things. There are sources we’ve talked to who feel that in those meetings, Shapiro sort of set the stage not to be picked as Harris’s number two.”

Some Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), were quick to allege Shapiro was not chosen because of his Jewish heritage and the far-left criticism over the Pennsylvania governor’s position on the Israel-Hamas war.

Critics of progressives and Shapiro’s allies said the attacks were rooted in antisemitism, pointing to Shapiro’s identity as an observant Jew and the similarities between his stances on Israel and those of the other Democratic vice presidential contenders. 

Axelrod, who is Jewish, weighed in on the allegations of antisemitism, stating, “Antisemitism is something that a lot of us have faced in different ways and my family has faced and so on. I don’t like to see it exploited.”

In announcing her pick of Walz, Harris focused on his support for middle-class families and his personal history serving in the National Guard and working as a teacher.

Shapiro on Tuesday spoke at the Pennsylvania rally introducing the Harris-Walz ticket and vowed to “work his tail off” to get them elected in November.