Shapiro joins Utah governor in condemning political violence, extreme rhetoric

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro quickly shifted gears Tuesday night inside the Washington National Cathedral as another shouting protester tried to interrupt him during an event on political violence and civility.

“By the way, I’ll just thank the cathedral for the amazing acoustics. I can’t hear a word of what these people are yelling about,” Shapiro said as applause drowned out the protester.

“What we need is civil discourse in this country, more engagement in this country and more hope and opportunity,” the Democratic governor from Montgomery County added.

Shapiro and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, discussed the scourge of political violence and extreme rhetoric during Tuesday’s event, moderated by “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Both governors have been forced to confront political violence in their respective states.

Shapiro condemned such violence after the attempted assassination of Republican Donald Trump in Butler County during the 2024 presidential campaign — and then confronted it again in April when an intruder firebombed the governor’s residence with Shapiro and his family inside. Cox also condemned political violence following the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk on the campus of Utah Valley University in September. Just last week, a Utah man was arrested after, Cox said, the man threatened to shoot him in the head.

Cox said Shapiro was the first official to call him after Kirk’s assassination.

Noting political violence has targeted and been perpetrated by people on the political left and right, Shapiro said, “All leaders must condemn all political violence, not cherry-pick which political violence to condemn and which political violence to accept. Leaders have a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity and call it out wherever they see it.

“When you’re a governor, when you’re a president of the United States, you are looked to for that moral clarity, and we have a president of the United States right now that fails that test on a daily basis.”

While Shapiro said changing today’s toxic political climate “starts at the top,” Cox believes it’s up to all Americans.

“If we think a president of the United States is going to change where we are right now, we’re fooling ourselves. I truly believe that the people of our country are the ones who are going to have to change this,” Cox said as a protester could be heard yelling in the background — something that happened at least four times during Tuesday’s event.

“This idea that we feel it’s OK to scream and interrupt now, we’ve given a pass to this type of boorish behavior for far too long,” Cox said. “Seventy percent of Americans hate what’s happening in politics right now; they’re desperate for something different. Yes, you can point at the president, but I’m just here to tell you that neither party is interested in addressing that market failure right now.

“This country, if we’re going to make it another 250 years, if we’re going to make it another 2.5 years, we desperately need you tonight to lay down your swords and to treat each other with dignity and respect again.”

As Tuesday’s event concluded, Guthrie asked the governors whether either of them plans to run for president in 2028.

“One of us is not,” Cox quickly chimed in as Shapiro laughed and put down his microphone. Cox told reporters last month he has no plans to run for president.