Trump Calls Pennsylvania Governor After Arson Attack on Mansion
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro revealed that former President Donald Trump called him to discuss an arson attack on the governor’s mansion.
In a surprising show of concern, former President Donald Trump reached out to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro following an arson attack on the governor’s residence. The incident, which occurred a week prior, prompted Trump to call Shapiro over the weekend to check on the governor’s family and discuss the attack. Shapiro, a Democrat, described Trump’s call as ‘very gracious’ and mentioned that they spoke for about 15 minutes on various topics, including the safety of Shapiro’s wife and children after the fire.
The call came after an attack that left the governor’s mansion with significant fire damage. The suspect, 38-year-old Cody Balmer, has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism, and related offenses. Balmer allegedly admitted to being motivated by the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and expressed grievances against Shapiro, who is Jewish, in a 911 call following the attack.
Despite initially missing Trump’s call due to not recognizing the number, Shapiro appreciated the gesture and promptly returned the call after hearing the voicemail. This interaction marks a notable instance of cross-party communication in the wake of a violent incident, highlighting the human aspect of political figures during crises.