Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro dismissed criticism of the Democratic Party's message of "hope and change," arguing that progress has been made under the Biden-Harris administration and that more work needs to be done.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined "Special Report" on Wednesday to address criticism of the Democratic Party's message of "hope and change" despite President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris being in office for the past three-and-a-half years.
Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier noted that former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, who headlined Tuesday's proceedings at the Democratic National Convention, struck a tone of "hope" and encouraged voters to change the trajectory of the country's leadership at the ballot box in November.
Gov. Shapiro Defends Democrats' Message of Hope Despite White House Tenure
"I mean, we have three-and-a-half years of a Biden-Harris administration," Baier pointed out. "So that message of change and a new thing, is that just overlooking the Biden-Harris three-and-a-half years?"
Shapiro, who had been considered a top contender to be Harris' running mate, brushed off the alleged inconsistency, touting the administration's efforts on energy independence and job growth. Still, he conceded there is more that needs to be done.
Gov. Shapiro Defends Democrats' Message of Hope Despite White House Tenure
"We have made progress," he said. "We've got a ways to go, we've got more work to do, and as Kamala Harris continues her campaign, she will continue to lay out that vision for not just hope, but meaningful change for people."
Baier pressed: "But is it a delicate dance to say this is hope, this is… change, even though you have a Democratic president who kind of was pushed out over the past weeks?" He noted that some Democrats have also expressed reservations about using that line of messaging.
Gov. Shapiro Defends Democrats' Message of Hope Despite White House Tenure
"I would respectfully disagree with you," Shapiro replied. "I mean this respectfully, of course. I think what Joe Biden did was really patriotic. He understood that in every chapter of our American story, Americans have written those chapters, then passed the marker to the next generation to continue that work. He did that work here in passing the torch to Kamala Harris — passing the marker, if you will, to Kamala Harris to write that next chapter. So I would respectfully disagree. I think what he did was really patriotic."
Shapiro's comments come amid a surge in positive media coverage and approval numbers for Harris since President Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 race.
Gov. Shapiro Defends Democrats' Message of Hope Despite White House Tenure
A recent Associated Press-NORC poll found that 48% of Americans have a very or somewhat favorable view of Harris, up from 39% earlier this summer.
However, some Democrats have expressed reservations about the party's message of "hope and change," arguing that it overlooks the Biden-Harris administration's record and doesn't address the current challenges facing the country.
CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings went viral after confronting Democrats with the same question Tuesday as liberal pundits heaped praise on the Obamas for their remarks.
"The gap that I still see in all of these speeches, as good as they were, is that she's in the White House right now. Democrats have controlled the White House for 12 of the last 16 years," Jennings said on CNN.
"For all of the talk about division and the problems in the country and people are hurting, Democrats have mostly controlled this country... and somehow it's still all [former President] Trump's fault, and somehow she hasn't been at the center of it," he continued. "So to me, that's still the glaring hole in this campaign that hasn't yet been solved at this convention."
Despite the criticism, Shapiro remains optimistic about the Democratic Party's chances in the 2024 election. He believes that Harris is the right person to lead the party and the country into the future.
"I think Kamala Harris is a great leader who has the vision and the experience to lead our country into the future," Shapiro said. "She's a fighter who will never back down from a challenge. She's someone who will always put the needs of the American people first."
