‘Essentially, You’re Calling JD Vance a Neo-Nazi’: Bret Baier Confronts Josh Shapiro Over Remarks About the Vice President

Bret Baier confronted Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) over remarks he made about Vice President JD Vance, asking the governor how he could justify his comments when “essentially you’re calling JD Vance a neo-nazi or anti-Semite.”

Shapiro joined Thursday’s Special Report on Fox News to discuss his new memoir, Where We Keep the Light. Baier read an excerpt from the book alongside quotes from an interview with NBC in which the governor decried Vance for a Holocaust remembrance day post that did not explicitly mention the murders of Jews by Nazis

“The fact that JD Vance couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge that six million Jews were killed by Hitler and by the Nazis speaks volumes. It is not a surprise to me, however, given the way in which he has openly supported the AfD party, given the way he openly embraces neo-Nazis and neo-Nazi political parties, given the way in which he has offered comfort, really, to the antisemites on the right who are infecting the Republican Party,” Shapiro told NBC.

“Essentially, you’re calling JD Vance a neo-nazi or anti-Semite,” said Baier.

The governor said he stood by his comments:

SHAPIRO: Well, I’m not essentially calling him anything. I’m saying what I said and I stand by that. Look–

BAIER: But how do those two quotes match up, the book excerpt and what you said to NBC?

SHAPIRO: Because I believe anti-semitism is a problem on the political left, Bret, and on the political right. And I think leaders need to speak and act with moral clarity and call it out. I just called it out on someone on the political left. I would like to see the Vice President of the United States do the same. He should not allow for a Nick Fuentes or a Tucker Carlson or others who are promoting anti-semitic view to be platformed. And my view he is seeking some short-term political gain by not criticizing them and in the long run I believe that makes our country less safe.

BAIER: You were mad that it seems he didn’t say Jews, he said, “Today we remember the millions of lives lost during the holocaust. The millions of stories of individual bravery and heroism, one of the endearing lessons of one of the enduring chapters in human history that while humans create beautiful things and are full of compassion, we’re also capable of unspeakable brutality. And we promise never again to go down the darkest path.” That’s what you are responding to on NBC and that’s what you said.

SHAPIRO: I was offering a statement not about a tweet but of what I see as a track record. And, to me, anti-semitism is a problem in this country. Have you spoken about it on your show.

BAIER: Many times.

SHAPIRO: I’m sitting here telling you I believe it to be a problem on both sides of the political aisle. I’m not pointing fingers at one side. My point is–

BAIER: My point is the rhetoric. If you are going to say the rhetoric is high and you want to moderate it and take it down and then say that to NBC about the vice president of the United States. I don’t know, does it matchup?

SHAPIRO: It sure does. I’m not attacking an individual personally the way you see coming from this administration the president and vice president. I am pointing out that anti-semitism is a problem. I want to see the vice president of the United States do better.

Watch above via Fox News. 

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