Josh Shapiro says Harris is 'going to have to answer' for why she never raised concerns over Biden's health

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told ESPN host Stephen A. Smith that former Vice President Kamala Harris is "going to have to answer" for why she never raised any concerns to the public over former President Joe Biden's health in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

Smith, on his "Straight Shooter" podcast on Thursday, asked Shapiro why Harris didn't share her concerns over Biden's health before revealing them in her new book "107 Days."

"I haven't read the former vice president's book, and she's going to have to answer to how she was in the room and yet never said anything publicly," Shapiro told Smith.

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Shapiro said he was "extremely vocal" about Biden's fitness to run again and argued that Biden's staff failed to fully brief him on his dwindling chances of victory.

"I can tell you that I tried to speak to them candidly about it and to do so in a constructive manner. I believe in talking directly to the individuals, not running around and talking to the media," Shapiro said. "I don't mean that disrespectfully, but I think, in that moment, you've got to be direct, and I was."

Smith then asked Shapiro whether he plans on running for president in 2028, and if so, what he believed needs to be done to get the country back on the right track.

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Fox News Digital reached out to representatives of former Vice President Harris for comment.

Before addressing whether he plans to run for president, Shapiro explained how humbled and honored he is to be the governor of Pennsylvania and that he does not take his current job for granted.

"I also love this country, and I really believe, for the many of the reasons as you and I were talking about at the beginning of this conversation, we are at an inflection point, and I am troubled by what I'm seeing in this country, and I'm concerned about what I'm seeing in my party. And I know that I have a voice that needs to be heard in that process," he detailed. 

"How that voice ultimately gets heard, how it manifests itself, what I ultimately do, well, we'll see. I don't think that's a decision that one can make sitting here right now."

Shapiro emphasized his deep love for the country and his party, adding that he wants to help steer both in a more "commonsense direction."

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The book, "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America," by journalists Josh Dawsey of The Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of The New York Times and Isaac Arnsdor of The Washington Post, described a vetting process that came down to three finalists: Walz, Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.

While most political experts felt Shapiro, governor of a key swing state, was the most logical choice, the book states that the interview with Harris and Shapiro "revealed the two were not a perfect match."

"He came across as overly ambitious, pushing Harris to define what his role would be. He also conceded it would not be natural for him to serve as someone's number two, leaving Harris with a bad impression," the book states. 

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Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.