Shapiro Comments On Kamala During Interview
It was a moment of noticeable hesitation on Sunday’s Meet the Press when Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro struggled to articulate any major policy difference between Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden.
Despite NBC host Kristen Welker’s persistent questioning, Shapiro dodged the opportunity to clarify how Harris’ vision for the presidency would diverge from the current administration she’s been a part of for nearly four years.
When asked if Harris has done enough to separate her campaign from Biden’s, Shapiro pivoted, choosing instead to focus on the perceived contrasts between Harris and former President Donald Trump. “This is a race… between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump,” Shapiro said, emphasizing Harris’ tax policies aimed at middle-class families and small businesses while warning that Trump would increase costs for the same demographic.
He praised Harris’ foreign policy approach and her push to restore Roe v. Wade as further points of distinction between Harris and Trump, but he never got around to directly addressing the elephant in the room: How exactly is Harris different from Biden?
Welker didn’t let up. She pressed Shapiro again, pointing out the lingering dissatisfaction voters have with Biden’s handling of the economy and inflation, citing polls where only 39% of Americans approve of the president’s job performance.
But when asked to provide even one key policy difference between Harris and Biden, Shapiro fumbled, offering little beyond vague endorsements of Harris’ efforts on tax cuts and child care tax credits. These, of course, are merely continuations of policies under Biden, not bold new directions.
When Welker pushed again, asking if these tax-related efforts were truly a “difference” or just an extension of Biden’s agenda, Shapiro doubled down on comparing Harris to Trump, rather than distinguishing her from Biden.
His persistent focus on Trump’s “chaos” felt like a way to avoid giving a direct answer, reinforcing the narrative that Harris hasn’t successfully created enough distance from Biden’s widely criticized administration.
It’s no secret that Harris has had a tough time in the public eye lately, and this exchange only highlights the challenge she faces. In a recent interview with The View, Harris drew criticism for admitting that “nothing” came to mind when asked if she would have done anything differently than Biden over the past four years.
A similarly unclear response followed in her sit-down with Fox’s Bret Baier, where she failed to give a solid answer on how her administration would move the country forward.