DeSantis accuses Democrats of virtue signaling to ‘Hamas caucus’ on Harris’ VP pick

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that Democrats have to “virtue signal to the Hamas caucus” regarding Kamala Harris’ potential vice presidential pick, referencing talk that picking a Jewish running mate could fracture a diverse coalition of voters that has been torn over Israel’s war in Gaza.

“You have this governor in Pennsylvania,” DeSantis said in St. Petersburg, referring to potential Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Josh Shapiro. “People are saying in the media and on the left, ‘Well, she can’t pick him because he’s Jewish.”

DeSantis continued: “If you have to virtue signal to the Hamas caucus to win an election, you should not win that election.”

Hamas, designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997 by the U.S. State Department, is the Palestinian militant group governing the Gaza Strip that is at war with Israel.

Harris, whose husband is Jewish, has said Israel should be able to defend itself from Hamas, which kicked off the ongoing war in Gaza when it carried out a surprise, bloody attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7 and took scores of hostages. Harris has also called for a cease-fire amid concerns over civilian deaths in Gaza and a lack of humanitarian aid.

DeSantis’ broadside came on a day when Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is in Washington, where he delivered an afternoon address to Congress, without Harris in attendance. The vice president, who was on a swing through Indianapolis and Texas on Wednesday, received criticism for not attending the address, but is reportedly planning to meet with Netanyahu on Thursday.

The governor acknowledged during his press conference that Republicans would have rather run against President Joe Biden, saying he wouldn’t have appointed him to a mosquito control board. But he said he wasn’t worried about Harris, regardless of who she picked for vice president.

“Her tenure as VP has been disastrous,” DeSantis said about Harris. “I like our chances better.”

Harris has swiftly amassed support since Biden exited the race on Sunday and quickly endorsed her. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that she had already secured enough support from delegates to the Democratic National Convention to secure the party’s nomination. But Biden’s delegates are free to support whomever they want and nothing will be officially settled until the convention, which is scheduled to begin on Aug. 19.

“If Harris falls on her face over the next few weeks, I think it’s absolutely possible that they go a different direction at the convention,” DeSantis said. “So, I think it’s going to be a very interesting three or four weeks in the political scene.”