'Trump is obsessed with me,' Shapiro says in response to former president's scathing comment • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

CHICAGO – Former President Donald Trump rarely mentioned Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro by name during the 2024 election cycle, but in a Social media post late Wednesday, he called him “the completely overrated Jewish governor of the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro.”

The scathing comment came after Shapiro short but energetic speech at the Democratic Party Convention on Wednesday evening and called on Democrats to fight for their fundamental freedoms.

“It's not freedom to tell our children what books they can read. It's not freedom to tell women what they can do with their bodies,” Shapiro told the DNC. “And it's certainly not freedom to say you can vote, but he can pick the winner. That's not freedom.”

Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro re-energizes DNC with call for “freedom”

Trump called Shapiro's remarks “a really bad and poorly delivered speech about freedom and fighting for presidential candidate Kamala Harris” and called himself “the best friend Israel and the Jewish people have ever had.”

Shapiro countered on Thursday. “I think it's become clear over the last few years that Donald Trump is obsessed with me and obsessed with continuing to spread hate and division in our politics,” the governor said in a Video statement“He is someone who routinely spreads such anti-Semitic stereotypes.”

Shapiro pointed out that Trump had endorsed his opponent in the 2022 gubernatorial election, Republican Senator Doug Mastriano (Franklin), who Shapiro defeated by 15 percentage points in that election.

“[Trump] “He himself lost in 2020, all of his hand-picked candidates lost, and I think he's heading for another defeat, this time to Kamala Harris,” Shapiro said Thursday.

Shapiro was a finalist for Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, and during a campaign rally in Wilkes-Barre on August 17, Trump argued that he was not chosen because he is Jewish. Shapiro and the Harris campaign strongly denied that claim.

Trump demonstrates in Wilkes-Barre and criticizes Harris and Biden over the economy

“It's clear that he's going to continue to be the hateful, divisive person he's always been in this campaign,” Shapiro said Thursday. “And I think it's clear, given his record so far, that he's setting himself up for another defeat.”

The Democrats end their 2024 convention on Thursday evening. During the week, the Trump campaign has offered counter-programs in swing states such as Pennsylvania, culminating on Thursday in Arizona with a visit to the US border with Mexico.