Gov. Josh Shapiro used the national stage of the Eradicate Hate Global Summit on Tuesday to deliver a personal and pointed speech, recalling the night his family fled an arson attack at the governor’s mansion — and calling on America’s leaders to reject political violence without exception.
But the Democratic governor also aimed a sharp critique at President Donald Trump, accusing him and others of “cherry-picking” which acts of political violence to condemn. Political observers say it’s a sign he’s serious about a potential 2028 White House run.
Shapiro opened his remarks by reliving the harrowing April night when an intruder set fire to the Harrisburg residence while his family slept.
“I woke up to a bang on the door,” Shapiro said. “It was a state trooper, telling us there was a fire and we needed to evacuate immediately. Just hours before, we had gathered for our Seder to celebrate the first night of Passover in the very room the arsonist broke in, launched Molotov cocktails and made his way through the house, wielding a metal hammer he later said he was going to use to kill me. Not only was my safety threatened, but my wife, our kids, and members of our extended family were put at risk.”
The governor said that experience underscored his conviction that political violence is not just an attack on individuals but on democracy itself.
“Violence in all forms is unacceptable – and political violence is particularly dangerous. Not only does it seek to injure, maim, or kill – it seeks to intimidate, terrorize, and silence,” he said.
Shapiro ticked through recent examples of politically motivated attacks: the attempted assassination of Trump at a Butler County rally, the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in New York, the killing of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
“These are not isolated events,” Shapiro said. “They are a pattern of radicalization and extremism that threaten the very fabric of our democracy.”
He also invoked the 2018 mass shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, where 11 worshippers were killed during Shabbat morning prayers. “When I joined hundreds of our neighbors … we declared with one voice that we would not allow hate and antisemitism to permeate and further infect this loving community,” Shapiro recalled.
The man arrested for the arson attack on Shapiro’s family, Cody Balmer, told authorities that Shapiro, who is Jewish, “needs to know that he (Balmer) will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.” He also said Shapiro “needs to stop having my friends killed, and ‘our people have been put through too much by that monster,’” apparently references to Shapiro’s support for Israel in its war with Hamas.
Despite his broad, nonpartisan appeals in Tuesday’s speech, Shapiro also took a not-so-veiled swipe at Trump.
“During moments like these, we must be clear and unequivocal and call out all forms of political violence as wrong. That shouldn’t be hard to do,” he said. “Unfortunately, some – from the dark corners of the internet all the way to the Oval Office – want to cherry-pick which instances of political violence they want to condemn. Doing so only further divides us and makes it harder to heal.”
The Trump White House hit back.
“As the survivor of two assassination attempts — and now watching his dear friend Charlie be assassinated — no one understands the dangers of political violence more than President Trump,” said spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.
“President Trump, and the entire administration, will not hesitate to speak the truth – for years, radical leftists have slandered their political opponents as Nazis and fascists, inspiring left-wing violence. It must end,” Jackson added.
Republican strategist Christopher Nicholas argued Shapiro’s speech reflected more politics than principle. “What his comments demonstrate yet again is that he will spend much of his gubernatorial reelection campaign running against President Trump, rather than mostly concentrating on the GOP nominee,” Nicholas said.
Shapiro is expected to face state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who has launched her bid for governor and is poised to secure the GOP’s endorsement this weekend. The 2026 race will test Shapiro’s popularity in a swing state still raw from a string of violent political episodes.
Beyond rhetoric, Shapiro highlighted steps his administration has taken: funding 1,500 more state troopers and local officers, sending $15 million to churches, synagogues, and mosques for security, and launching a Department of Education initiative — suggested by First Lady Lori Shapiro — to create a digital literacy toolkit to help parents and teachers guide children through the online landscape where much radicalization begins.
“In moments like these, we must be clear and unequivocal,” Shapiro said. “The work of democracy depends on our courage to say enough.”