In Philly, Gov. Josh Shapiro wouldn’t say if he wants to be VP. He also won’t take himself out of the conversation.
A swing through Philadelphia turned into a de facto campaign event for Shapiro, who largely dodged questions about whether he's interested in being Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate.
A stop at a North Philadelphia youth basketball court Tuesday turned into a de facto campaign event for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, the Democrat considered on the shortlist for the vice presidential nomination who entered the facility as a dozen children chanted, “Sha-pir-o!”
The governor remained mum on his chances of becoming Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate during a swing through the city Tuesday, but his stops — a news conference with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and a meet-and-greet with a group of kids — were far from normal. Shapiro was greeted by a crush of reporters amid expectations that Harris will pick her running mate in the coming days.
“The vice president has a very deeply personal decision to make right now: who she wants to run with, and who she wants to govern with,” he said. “I trust she will make that decision on her own terms when she is ready.”
Shapiro repeatedly dodged questions and refused to say whether he’s being vetted for the job. He said he hasn’t spoken to Harris for more than a week, since the day President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid. But the governor would not say whether he has spoken to anyone from Harris’ campaign about the job.
The governor’s stops in the city come a day after two other Democratic governors — Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Roy Cooper of North Carolina — seemingly took themselves out of contention for the role, saying publicly that they intend to stay in their home states and have not been vetted.
Asked directly whether he would remove himself from consideration, Shapiro demurred again, saying he would not “get into the hypotheticals of this.”
Reports suggest Shapiro is among a handful of top contenders, a field that also includes Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Harris is expected to begin traveling with her running mate as early as next Tuesday, which is a day before the Democratic National Committee will hold its Aug. 7 virtual vote on her nomination.
Shapiro is slated to participate in a pair of events this weekend in the Hamptons, including a Saturday fundraiser with a Democratic group and Sunday luncheon with allies of Harris, according to a report by CNBC.
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Before he hit the gym on Tuesday, Shapiro made an appearance on North Broad Street in Yorktown to join U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in announcing a new tool meant to make filing federal taxes easier and more affordable.
He used the opportunity to tout his own efforts to make government more efficient — such as by speeding up the state permitting process — and drew parallels between Yellen, himself, and the Biden-Harris administration.
”That’s the way we do our work every day here in the commonwealth,” he said. “That’s the way the Biden administration, Harris administration, is operating, and certainly the way the secretary has.”
In his comments to reporters Tuesday, Shapiro did take on the traditional running mate role of being an attack dog, making a point of slamming the Republican ticket. He said former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, are as “nervous as hell to go up against [Harris].”
“It’s hard to be authentic when you’re not being honest with yourself,” Shapiro said of Vance, obliquely referencing anti-Trump comments the freshman senator made years ago. “He’s full of it, and he knows it, and I think that’s why it’s hard for him to be authentic and real when he’s trying to talk to the American people.”
He continued: “But this election isn’t about JD Vance. This election is about the dangerous policies of Donald Trump.”
Although Shapiro was vague when discussing his political future, he seemed to lighten up when he met with dozens of children at the Alan Horwitz Sixth Man Center who are enrolled in the Philadelphia Youth Basketball program, a nonprofit organization that aims to break the cycle of poverty through sports engagement.
Shapiro got into a spirited debate with a group of kids about who is the GOAT — the greatest of all time — saying he thinks it’s Michael Jordan. Some of the kids begged to differ, suggesting LeBron James or the late Kobe Bryant.
On a tour of the facility with the adults who lead the program, Shapiro — a former high school basketball star known to be a dedicated Sixers fan — looked over a balcony at kids playing on the court below.
“I’m gonna get emotional,” he said, grabbing his chest.
He asked about violence prevention money the facility gets from the state, and offered some more light-hearted suggestions, such as ensuring the kids learn “how to trash talk the Celtics.”
As he got to the gym to shoot around, Shapiro took his blazer off and put on a PYB T-shirt to cheers from the kids.
He went 1 for 4 from just inside three-point range.
Inquirer staff writers Aliya Schneider and Katie Bernard contributed to this article.