Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro sharply criticized former Vice President Kamala Harris this week, accusing her of telling “blatant lies” about him in her newly released memoir, 107 Days, in an unusually candid moment during an interview with The Atlantic published Wednesday.
Shapiro, a Democrat widely viewed as a rising star in the party, was considered by Harris as a potential running mate during the 2024 vice-presidential selection process before she ultimately chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Known for his disciplined messaging and calm public demeanor, Shapiro broke from his typical reserve when The Atlantic’s Tim Alberta confronted him with excerpts from Harris’s book—apparently for the first time.
In the memoir, Harris recounts her interview with Shapiro as part of the vetting process, writing that he “mused that he would want to be in the room for every decision.” She said she responded bluntly, reminding him that “a vice president is not a co-president.” Harris further wrote that she worried Shapiro “would be unable to settle for a role as number two” and that it might strain their partnership. “On every day I’m president,” she wrote, “I’d have ninety-nine problems and my VP can’t be one.”
Shapiro rejected that portrayal, telling The Atlantic he was merely asking reasonable questions. “I did ask a bunch of questions,” he said. “Wouldn’t you ask questions if someone was talking to you about forming a partnership and working together?”
However, it was another anecdote in the book that appeared to provoke his strongest reaction. Harris claimed that before his interview, Shapiro asked the vice-presidential residence manager how many bedrooms were in the official home and whether the Smithsonian might loan Pennsylvania art for display. Shapiro flatly denied the account.
“That’s complete and utter bull—-,” he said. “I can tell you that her accounts are just blatant lies.”
When asked whether he felt betrayed by Harris, whom he has known for two decades, Shapiro initially snapped, suggesting she was trying to “sell books and cover her a–,” before quickly walking back part of the remark to say simply, “She’s trying to sell books. Period.”
Harris’s representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Shapiro’s remarks contrast sharply with his more restrained response when the book was released in September. At that time, his office dismissed the claims as “simply ridiculous” and emphasized his full support for the Harris-Walz ticket. Now, as Shapiro prepares for a consequential reelection campaign in 2026 and remains a potential 2028 presidential contender, the public rupture adds a new layer of tension to his long-standing relationship with Harris.
