Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro revealed Tuesday that President Trump known as him over the weekend to ask how his household was doing after the arson assault on the governor’s residence earlier this month.
“I appreciated that the president called me,” Shapiro advised reporters on the annual Easter Egg Hunt in Harrisburg – the primary public occasion held on the governor’s mansion because the April 13 blaze destroyed the historic state-owned constructing’s eating room.
“I actually didn’t take his call because it came from his cellphone and I didn’t have that number in my phone, so I didn’t know who it was,” the governor stated. “As soon as I heard his message, I called him right back.”
Shapiro stated he spoke with Trump for greater than quarter-hour, and the 2 mentioned a number of matters, together with the arson assault that pressured the governor, his household, visitors and pets to hurry out of the constructing within the wee hours of the morning.
“He was very gracious,” Shapiro stated of Trump, noting that the president requested about his spouse, Lori, and their 4 kids — who had all been asleep when Molotov cocktails had been tossed into the constructing, igniting an enormous blaze.
“He asked how Lori and the kids were doing. [We] talked for a couple minutes about what transpired at the residence, and then we talked about for maybe the next 15 minutes or so about a whole host of other topics,” Shapiro stated.
The governor refused to enter particulars concerning the different matters that had been mentioned.
“Obviously, I’m not going to get into our private conversation,” he stated. “But he’s attuned to the issues that are important to me. I, of course, know the issues that are important to him, and we agreed to stay in touch going forward.”
Cody Balmer — the alleged antisemitic madman accused of scaling a fence, smashing a window with a hammer after which hurling Molotov cocktails into the governor’s residence as Shapiro and his household slept — has been charged with arson, tried homicide, terrorism and different offenses.
Balmer, 38, allegedly referenced Shapiro’s supposed “plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people” throughout a 911 name admitting to the assault, based on a police warrant.
Authorities are investigating whether or not Balmer was pushed to hold out the assault by antisemitism and prosecutors are weighing tacking on hate crime costs to the alleged firebug’s rap. Shapiro is Jewish.
