Nearly 36 hours after the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence was firebombed in what some have described as a possible assassination attempt and anti-Semitic terror attack targeting Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, President Donald Trump has yet to publicly condemn the act of violence—which has been charged as attempted murder, arson, and terrorism—committed as the governor and his family slept.
Just days after he was sworn in to office in January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order denouncing what he called “an unprecedented wave of vile anti-Semitic discrimination, vandalism and violence,” as NPR reported January 29. He also declared that U.S. policy “shall be” to use “all available and appropriate legal tools to prosecute, remove, or otherwise hold to account the perpetrators of unlawful anti-Semitic harassment and violence.”
But, as critics have noticed, it’s been all but radio silence from the U.S. President on the heinous crimes carried out against Governor Shapiro on the first full day of Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating liberation from slavery.
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The suspect, “Cody Balmer, 38, jumped a fence and managed to evade state troopers after he broke into the building, the authorities said,” The New York Times reported. “He fled the scene and was arrested after turning himself in to the police on Sunday afternoon, officials said at a news conference.”
According to the affidavit, Balmer said that if he had encountered Governor Shapiro, he would have beaten him with his hammer.
“Mr. Balmer was charged with attempted murder, arson and terrorism, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office said early Monday.”
Since the attack on Governor Shapiro and the governor’s mansion, President Trump, on his Truth Social platform, has announced the visit this week of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, and thanked him for what some say is the unlawful imprisonment of “some of the most violent alien enemies of the World and, in particular, the United States,” whom Trump labeled “barbarians.”
He posted videos of his Saturday night visit to UFC 314, a mixed martial arts event. He denied the tariff exemptions on cell phones, computers, and other tech items are actually “exceptions.” He posted a message to Christians honoring Holy Week. He also posted video of an apparent drone strike and wrote: “Time for the terrorists to hide, but it won’t do them any good.”
Trump called for New York Attorney General Letitia James to resign from office.
In one random post, Trump wrote (in all-caps): “The best definition of intelligence is the ability to predict the future!!!”
In a lengthy post, Trump blasted CBS News for running two investigative stories on him Sunday evening. He called for the news network to lose its broadcast license, and wrote: “Hopefully, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as headed by its Highly Respected Chairman, Brendan Carr, will impose the maximum fines and punishment … for their unlawful and illegal behavior.”
And as recently as just past 10 AM, Trump posted a message effectively washing his hands of Russia’s unlawful war against Ukraine.
Trump also re-posted a video wishing Jewish families a “blessed Passover,” saying, “may God continue to watch over the Jewish people.”
As of publication time, the President does not appear to have said anything publicly to the people of Pennsylvania or Governor Shapiro to condemn the attack on their governor, his family, and the governor’s mansion.
“Last night at about 2AM,” Governor Shapiro wrote on Sunday, “my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg. The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was on the scene and while they worked to put out the fire, we were evacuated from the Residence safely by Pennsylvania State Police and assisted by Capitol Police. Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished. Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities. Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe.”
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Responding to that message, Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote that she is “deeply relieved that Governor Shapiro and his family are safe, thankful for the first responders who arrived on the scene, and applaud the police work that resulted in an arrest just hours ago.”
There was no indication she was considering federal charges. The FBI reportedly is assisting in the investigation.
The New York Times DC correspondent Glenn Thrush noted: “Interesting to see how Bondi’s response evolves if there’s evidence the attack was political. She called Tesla vandalism ‘domestic terrorism’ — and vowed to seek max sentences. Shapiro and his family were at home during an arson attempt. Seems far more serious at 1st glance.”
Vice President JD Vance appears to be the only Trump administration official to condemn the attack.
“Thanks be to God that Governor Shapiro and his family were unharmed in this attack. Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice,” he wrote.
Writer Charlotte Clymer, a former Human Rights Campaign press secretary on Sunday afternoon remarked: “The attempt to burn down the Pennsylvania Governor’s mansion is pretty clearly an assassination attempt, and it’s likely an antisemitic hate crime. It should be referred to that way by political media.”
David Axelrod, the former Obama Senior Advisor and chief strategist, wrote: “Where is the @POTUS?”
“Did I miss it or has he not said, or posted, a word about this attack in PA?”
President Trump’s response so far follows a familiar pattern seen in previous instances of far-right violence or incendiary rhetoric—such as after the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in 2017, when public pressure ultimately led him to issue a condemnation that some viewed as equivocal.
Asked aboard Air Force One on Sunday night if he had any reaction to the attack on Governor Shapiro, Trump could only say, “I just heard about it, no, I’ll have to look into it.”
Watch the video below or at this link.