Gov. Josh Shapiro: Biden-Harris Record Doesn't Contradict 'Hope and Change' Message

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro defended the Democratic Party's message of "hope and change" despite the Biden-Harris administration's three-and-a-half years in office, touting their efforts on energy independence and job growth.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has defended the Democratic Party's message of "hope and change" despite the Biden-Harris administration's three-and-a-half years in office. Shapiro joined "Special Report" live from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago ahead of his address later in the evening, where he addressed concerns that the message of change was inconsistent with the current administration's record.

Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier noted that Barack and Michelle Obama, who headlined Tuesday's proceedings, struck a tone of "hope" and encouraged voters to change the trajectory of the country's leadership at the ballot box in November.

Gov. Josh Shapiro: Biden-Harris Record Doesn't Contradict 'Hope and Change' Message

"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 brushed off the alleged inconsistency, touting the administration's efforts on energy independence and job growth.

Gov. Josh Shapiro: Biden-Harris Record Doesn't Contradict 'Hope and Change' Message

"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. Josh Shapiro: Biden-Harris Record Doesn't Contradict 'Hope and Change' Message

"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."

Shapiro's defense of the Biden-Harris record and the message of hope and change aligns with the broader Democratic strategy for the upcoming election. The party is banking on the popularity of Barack and Michelle Obama to energize their base and attract moderate voters.

Gov. Josh Shapiro: Biden-Harris Record Doesn't Contradict 'Hope and Change' Message

However, some Democrats have expressed concerns that the message of change is not credible given the Biden-Harris administration's performance. 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 these concerns, Shapiro remains optimistic about the Democratic Party's chances in the upcoming election. He believes that Harris can unite the party and energize voters to turn out in November.

"I think Kamala Harris is going to be a great president," Shapiro said. "She's smart, she's tough, and she's compassionate. She's going to fight for the things that matter most to working families, like affordable healthcare, good jobs, and quality education."

As the Democratic National Convention draws to a close, the party will need to find a way to address the concerns of voters like Jennings while also inspiring them to turn out on Election Day. Shapiro's defense of the Biden-Harris record and his endorsement of Harris are part of a broader effort to do just that.