Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro Addresses Security Lapses Leading to Home Arson Incident and Shares Absence of Communication from Trump

• Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro gave his first interview from home after it was severely damaged in an arson attack on April 13.
• The Democratic governor shared that, although he has not communicated with President Trump since the incident, he did receive messages from Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.
• “There were clearly security failures,” Shapiro noted, referring to the fact that the suspected arsonist managed to breach the official government property.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is speaking out less than a week after an arson attack left his home in ruins.

In an interview with ABC News co-anchor George Stephanopoulos on April 18, the 51-year-old governor discussed the “security failures” that allowed an intruder to scale a wall surrounding his Harrisburg mansion, break windows, and throw homemade incendiary devices inside before entering the residence early on the morning of April 13.

“Look, there were clearly security failures. And I have confidence in the Pennsylvania State Police to learn from this and to address the issues,” Shapiro said while seated amidst the rubble of his burned home.

Authorities arrested 38-year-old Cody Balmer in connection with the arson, and search warrants indicated that he confessed to the crime. Balmer is facing numerous charges, including attempted homicide, aggravated arson, and terrorism.

When asked whether he had received any communication from President Trump following the attack, Shapiro stated, “I haven’t.”

“I heard immediately that day from Director [Kash] Patel of the FBI, and I’ve heard from Attorney General [Pam] Bondi,” he told Stephanopoulos. Both Patel and Bondi were appointed by Trump.

Shapiro expressed his desire to “speak and act with moral clarity” to take appropriate action following this and other recent political attacks.

“You know, immediately after the assassination attempt on the former president, I condemned that in the strongest possible terms,” Shapiro reflected. “I spoke to the victims and visited Butler.”

“And when the assassin who killed the U.S. healthcare CEO was captured in Altoona, I went there and unequivocally condemned that kind of violence as well,” he added. “I also believe that it’s essential, even when we’re not faced with tragic events like those in Butler and Altoona or here in Harrisburg, to lead in a way that fosters unity rather than division.”

In another part of his conversation with Stephanopoulos, Shapiro discussed how he and his family, including Pennsylvania First Lady Lori Shapiro, are managing in the aftermath of the arson incident.

“We’re doing okay. Our kids are resilient. Lori has been a rock, and I’m trying to be a good dad, a good husband, and a good governor in that order,” Shapiro reported.

“I think they’ve all felt reassured by the outpouring of support we’ve received from countless individuals,” added the state’s first lady.

According to the governor, the family had held a Passover Seder shortly before the attack.

“We had—I’m getting emotional just thinking about it—our family over, and we had guests from the community across Pennsylvania. It was such a beautiful night,” he said, becoming teary-eyed. “It’s our first time back in this room.” Shapiro recalled being there at around 3:00 a.m. with the fire chief when he realized this was not an accidental fire.

According to the Pennsylvania State Police, they received reports of a fire at the Governor’s Residence around 2 a.m. local time, prompting the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire to respond.

Shapiro was inside with his family when he “woke up to bangs on the door” from police shortly afterward, as he shared on social media.

Images of the damage show melted furniture, burned walls, and blackened surfaces in the home. Luckily, no one was injured, but the south wing of the residence suffered significant damage.

Stephanopoulos inquired whether Shapiro considers this a hate crime, given that the suspect reportedly targeted him for his defense of Israel.

“I think that’s a question for the prosecutors to determine,” Shapiro replied. “They will figure out the motive.”

“This is unfortunately a real aspect of our society today and it needs to be condemned universally, George,” he emphasized. “I don’t care if it comes from the left or the right. It shouldn’t matter if it’s from someone you voted for or against, someone on your team or from the opposing side.”

“Every leader has a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity and to denounce this type of violence,” he concluded.