Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro Cites 'Security Failures' That Allowed for Home Arson Attack, Reveals He Hasn't Heard from Trump

• Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro offered a first interview from his home since it was charred in an arson incident on April 13.
• The Democratic governor said that while he hasn’t spoken with President Trump since the targeted attack, he has heard from Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.
• “There were clearly security failures,” Shapiro acknowledged, referencing how the suspected arsonist was able to breach the official government property.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is speaking out, less than one week after his home was severely burned in an arson attack.

Speaking to Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos on ABC News on Friday, April 18, the 51-year-old governor opened up about the “security failures” that occurred when an intruder allegedly scaled a wall outside his Harrisburg, Pa., mansion, smashed windows and threw homemade incendiary devices inside, before walking inside in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 13.

“Look, there— there were clearly security failures. And— I want, you know, I have confidence in the Pennsylvania State Police to learn from it, to address it,” Shapiro said in the interview, speaking from the rubble of the burned-down house.

Police apprehended 38-year-old Cody Balmer in connection with the incident, and search warrants alleged that the suspect admitted to the crimes. Balmer faces several charges, including attempted homicide, aggravated arson and terrorism.

When Shapiro was asked if he had heard from President Donald Trump in the wake of the attack, he said, “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 said that “speaking and acting with moral clarity” is one way that he hopes to move forward in the wake of this — and other — recent targeted political attacks.

“You know, immediately following the assassination attempt on the former president, now president, in Butler, Pa., I condemned that in the strongest of terms,” Shapiro said. “I spoke to the victims. I went to Butler.”

“When the assassin who killed the U.S. healthcare CEO was caught in Altoona, Pa., I immediately went there and condemned that kind of violence in clear terms,” he added. “I think it’s also important when you’re not dealing with a traumatic event in Butler and Altoona — or here in Harrisburg — to be leading every day in a way that, like, brings people together and doesn’t just continually divide us.”

Elsewhere in his conversation with Stephanopoulos, Shapiro spoke about how he and his family, including Pennsylvania first lady Lori Shapiro, have been coping following the arson.

“We’re doing okay. You know, our kids are resilient. Lori’s been a rock. And I’m trying to be a good dad, a good husband, a good Governor in that order,” Shapiro said.

“I think they’ve been really reassured, as I think we all have by the outpouring of support that we’ve gotten from all corners,” the state’s first lady added.

According to the governor, the family had been at a Passover Seder before the arson attack.

“We had — I get emotional just thinking — had our family,” he shared, tearing up. “We had — guests from the community from across Pennsylvania. It was just a really beautiful night.”

“It’s our first time back in this room,” Shapiro continued. “I was in here at about maybe 3:00 in the morning with the fire chief when it became immediately apparent to me, this wasn’t just, you know, an accidental fire, candle being left on or something.”

Pennsylvania State Police previously said in a news release that at approximately 2 a.m. local time, “members of the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire responded to the Governor’s Residence, located on North Front Street, Harrisburg City, Dauphin County, for the report of a fire.”

Shapiro, was in the home with his family when he “woke up to bangs on the door” from the PSP not long after, he wrote in a statement shared on X.

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Images of the aftermath have been released, with some showing melted furniture, burned walls and the house covered in black soot. No one was injured in the attack, but the south wing of the governor’s residence was badly damaged.

Stephanopoulos then asked if Shapiro believed this was a hate crime, because the suspect allegedly admitted to targeting Shapiro — who is Jewish — over his defense of Israel.

“I think that’s a question for the prosecutors to determine,” Shapiro responded. “They’re going to determine motive.”

“This is sadly a real part of our society today. And it needs to be universally condemned, George,” he added. “I don’t care if it’s coming from the left, from the right. I don’t care if it’s coming from someone who you voted for or someone who you didn’t vote for, someone on your team or someone on the other team.”

“I think every single leader has a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity and condemn this kind of violence,” he finished.