Josh Shapiro accuses JD Vance of antisemitism over not mentioning Jews in Holocaust Remembrance statement—he didn't mention them either

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has accused Vice President JD Vance of being antisemitic for not mentioning that it was Jewish people who were killed in the Holocaust in his post marking Holocaust Remembrance Day. Shapiro, however, did not explicitly state that it were Jews killed in the Holocaust either in his post.

Vance wrote in his post marking the day of remembrance that took place on Tuesday, "Today we remember the millions of lives lost during the Holocaust, the millions of stories of individual bravery and heroism, and one of the enduring lessons of one of the darkest 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." Included in Vance’s post were photos of he and Second Lady Usha Vance’s 2025 visit to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany.

Shapiro told NBC News about the statement, "Remember that the reason why we memorialize the Holocaust on this day, really, essentially, is to never forget. And the reason you want to never forget is so that we never live through that atrocity again. Part of never forgetting is making sure that the facts of what happened are recited, are remembered. The fact that JD Vance couldn’t bring himself to acknowledging that 6 million Jews were killed by Hitler and by the Nazis speaks volumes." Shapiro told NBC that he had not personally seen the statement.

He continued, "It is not surprising 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 continued. “So it’s not a shock to me that he would omit that, but it’s a sad day that the vice president of the United States on Holocaust Awareness Day couldn’t address that."

A spokesperson for Vance told the outlet that Shapiro’s comments were a "next level hypocritical deflection from Shapiro, a misguided plea for attention from a political lightweight," and noted how Shapiro’s own tweet did not explicitly mention the Jews. They said that Shapiro had "desperately tried to shift blame to the Vice President."

In his post marking the day, Shapiro wrote, "This Holocaust Remembrance Day, we pause to reflect on a horrific chapter in human history — a period of incredible darkness for our world, consumed by hate and violence against millions of people on the basis of their faith, their background, and their beliefs. Today, perhaps more than ever before, we know how much work is still left to do. Amidst the rising antisemitism we’re seeing across this country, it’s on us to rededicate ourselves to combatting hate and violence wherever we see it — and to speak with moral clarity in its face."

Social media users were quick to call out Shapiro for his comments against Vance, with Human Events Daily host Jack Posobiec writing, "Hi Josh Shapiro! Me again. I see you are attacking JD to NBC for not using the word ‘Jews’ in his Holocaust post. You, yourself, did the same exact thing in your own tweet. You’re a total joke, Josh!"

Republican communications director Alex Pfeiffer noted Shapiro’s post on the subject from 2025 also did not explicitly mention the Jews. "Wow. Josh Shapiro must be really offended by his statements issued this year and last year, neither of which mentioned 'Jews.’"

Another user wrote, replying to Shapiro’s post, "Those 'people' were Jews. They weren’t targeted on the basis of their faith, background, or beliefs. They were targeting because they were viewed as racially and inherently impure by Nazis. A belief that NOTHING could make them valuable or equal to others. And you’re Jewish?"

Columnist Kurt Schlichter wrote that Shapiro’s post, like Vance’s, was an "appropriate and heartfelt commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day" that "does not mention Jews either." He added, "You would be an idiot to call Governor Shapiro an antisemite. You’re an idiot to call Vice President Vance an antisemite. But don’t worry – the people lying are not going to stop the Vice President from opposing antisemitism in all its forms."

National Political Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition Sam Markstein noted that the Israeli Defense Force’s post commemorating the day also did not mention the Jewish People explicitly. "And for all the knee-jerk reactors out there who love to make mountains out of literally everything, here’s the IDF’s post for IHRD."