Shapiro says he “made it clear” to Biden he had electability concerns
(WHTM)– Governor Shapiro responded to questions on Wednesday about a conversation with then-President Joe Biden last summer about concerns he had regarding Biden’s electability.
During an event in Scranton, Shapiro was asked about a discussion he had with Biden last July in Harrisburg after what many considered to be a disastrous debate performance for the president.
“I was very clear with the former president that I had real concerns about his political standing in Pennsylvania. I encouraged him to take certain steps to address that, and I was very open and honest about my concerns about his electability,” Shapiro said on Wednesday.
The question came after the release of CNN reporter Jake Tapper’s new book, Original Sin, which mentions Biden’s visit to Harrisburg’s Denim Coffee Shop. The book claims Shapiro tried to share his concerns with then-President Biden about waning support in Pennsylvania. The book says Shapiro’s conversation was cut off by First Lady Jill Biden.
US President Joe Biden (R) visits a coffee shop with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (C) and Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams (L) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 7, 2024. Biden is back out on the campaign trail Sunday, desperate to salvage his re-election bid as senior Democrats meet to discuss growing calls that he quit the White House race. The 81-year-old Democrat kicks off a grueling week with two campaign rallies in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, before hosting the NATO leaders’ summit in Washington. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden (L) and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (R) visit a coffee shop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 7, 2024. Biden is back out on the campaign trail Sunday, desperate to salvage his re-election bid as senior Democrats meet to discuss growing calls that he quit the White House race. The 81-year-old Democrat kicks off a grueling week with two campaign rallies in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, before hosting the NATO leaders’ summit in Washington. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden (C) and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (R) visit a coffee shop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 7, 2024. Biden is back out on the campaign trail Sunday, desperate to salvage his re-election bid as senior Democrats meet to discuss growing calls that he quit the White House race. The 81-year-old Democrat kicks off a grueling week with two campaign rallies in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, before hosting the NATO leaders’ summit in Washington. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden (L) and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (2nd R) visit a coffee shop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 7, 2024. Biden is back out on the campaign trail Sunday, desperate to salvage his re-election bid as senior Democrats meet to discuss growing calls that he quit the White House race. The 81-year-old Democrat kicks off a grueling week with two campaign rallies in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, before hosting the NATO leaders’ summit in Washington. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (R) visit a coffee shop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 7, 2024. Biden is back out on the campaign trail Sunday, desperate to salvage his re-election bid as senior Democrats meet to discuss growing calls that he quit the White House race. The 81-year-old Democrat kicks off a grueling week with two campaign rallies in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, before hosting the NATO leaders’ summit in Washington. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
The book also suggests Shapiro’s takeaway was that Biden’s inner circle turned a blind eye to his waning support, and highlighted prominent Democrats who had reservations about the Biden campaign in private but supported him in public.
Biden ultimately dropped out of the presidential race on July 21, two weeks after meeting with Shapiro in Harrisburg. Vice President Kamala Harris was later tapped as the Democrats’ presidential nominee and lost both Pennsylvania and the Electoral College to Donald Trump.
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