Josh Shapiro retorts back at Donald Trump's 'antisemitic' remarks against him
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Josh Shapiro has accused former president Donald Trump of promoting antisemitism, following a controversial post in which Trump referred to Shapiro as a "highly overrated Jewish Governor."
In a press conference on Thursday, August 22, Shapiro responded to the Republican presidential nominee's late-night post on Truth Social, criticizing Trump for spreading hate and division.
Josh Shapiro condemns Donald Trump's remarks
Speaking about Donald Trump's remarks, Josh Shapiro said, "I think it's clear over the last few years, Donald Trump is obsessed with me and obsessed with continuing to spew hate and division in our politics."
"He's someone who has routinely peddled antisemitic tropes like this," added the governor who is a Democrat leading Pennsylvania, a key swing state in the presidential race, emphasizing the dangerous nature of Trump's rhetoric.
Donald Trump's midnight attack on Josh Shapiro
Donald Trump's Truth Social post, made just after midnight on Thursday, aimed at Josh Shapiro for his support of Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid. The former president also claimed Harris "hates Israel."
"The highly overrated Jewish Governor of the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, made a really bad and poorly delivered speech [at the Democratic National Convention] talking about freedom and fighting for Comrade Kamala Harris for President," said Trump.
"Yet she hates Israel and will do nothing but make its journey through the complexities of survival as difficult as possible, hoping in the end that it will fail. Judge only by her actions," he continued.
Trump claimed that he is "the best friend that Israel, and the Jewish people, ever had."
"I have done more for Israel than any President, and frankly, I have done more for Israel than any person, and it’s not even close," the 78-year-old politician argued. "Shapiro has done nothing for Israel, and never will."
Slamming the vice president, Trump wrote, "Comrade Kamala Harris, the Radical Left Marxist who stole the nomination from Crooked Joe, will do even less. Israel is in BIG trouble!”
White House blasts Donald Trump's remarks against Josh Shapiro
On Thursday morning, August 22, the White House denounced Donald Trump's attacks against Josh Shapiro.
"It is Antisemitic, dangerous, and hurtful to attack a fellow American by calling out their Jewish faith in a derogatory way, or perpetuating the centuries-old smear of 'dual loyalty,'" said White House spokesman Herbie Ziskend in a statement released on Thursday.
"President [Joe] Biden and Vice President Harris believe we must come together as Americans to condemn and combat Antisemitism – and hate and bigotry of all kinds," read the statement, according to Daily Mail.
