Gov. Josh Shapiro steps into his most important spotlight after Trump shooting

To Governor Josh Shapiro, Corey Comperatore’s political views didn’t matter.

The Democratic governor spoke with Comperatore’s wife and two daughters on Sunday after he was killed at a rally for former President Donald Trump.

Comperatore was a “father of a little girl” and a firefighter who loved his family, Shapiro told reporters gathered in Butler Township after the interview. He was excited to see his favorite presidential candidate. And he died a hero, rushing toward his family as shots rang out.

The first-term governor has found himself in the national spotlight several times in his first year and a half as Pennsylvania’s executive. But the stakes were especially high over the weekend as political violence hit his home state.

The governor, who ran in 2022 on a promise of bipartisanship and has emerged as a key surrogate for President Joe Biden, said Sunday that leaders “have an obligation to speak and act with moral clarity” in the wake of the attempted assassination of Trump by a 20-year-old man from a Pittsburgh suburb. His forceful call to “lower the temperature” is contributing to his national recognition as a moderate governor from a swing state — someone Democrats want to lean on in 2024 and beyond.

But toning down the political rhetoric to unite a deeply divided state like Pennsylvania will prove arduous. Republican critics have pointed to Shapiro’s statements against Trump — some as recent as last week, in which he called him “dangerous” and a threat to democracy — as evidence that the governor isn’t practicing what he preaches after the shooting.

State Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R., Beaver), a conservative member of the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus who represents the area where the attack occurred, says Shapiro’s comments and the views of Democrats as a whole helped incite the attempted assassination of Trump.

“He says President Trump poses an existential threat to democracy and then talks about toning down the rhetoric that he himself has encouraged,” Bernstine said.

But after a failed assassination attempt left one Pennsylvanian dead and two others seriously injured, Shapiro quickly changed his tune and began presenting himself as a ceremonial, bipartisan leader.

Shapiro spoke privately with Comperatore’s family, as well as with the family of one of the other wounded victims. (Shapiro tried to contact the family of the second victim on Sunday but was unable to do so, a spokesman said.) He also spoke with Republican members of Congress and state lawmakers who attended the rally. He was praised by some national Republicans, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, and commended by pro-Democracy groups hoping to quell future threats of violence.

“My message to all Pennsylvanians, to all Americans, is to stand firm in your convictions. Believe what you believe, stand up for what you believe and engage in the political and civic process, but always do it peacefully,” Shapiro added. “Disagreements are okay, but we need to use the peaceful political process to resolve them.”

His comments Sunday as he stood outside the Butler Township Municipal Building next to Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris echoed what Pennsylvanians expect from Shapiro, who constantly talks about the need to find common ground with political opponents and enjoys bipartisan support despite divisions in the state.

“He has a knack for striking the right tone in many situations, but this one just jumped out at him,” said Mike Mikus, a Democratic strategist in Pittsburgh. “He was true to himself and his political values, but he also showed compassion for those affected by the shooting.”

Shapiro focused on the three Pennsylvania victims, offered well-wishes to Trump and emphasized that Pennsylvania officials are helping federal investigators.

“What the country and Pennsylvania need right now is a clear statement that political violence is absolutely unacceptable,” said Philip Hensley-Robin, executive director of the good-government group Common Cause Pennsylvania. “It’s encouraging to see people from across the political spectrum standing up and saying that clearly.”

The shooting comes as Shapiro’s national profile has only grown in recent weeks as he has been named to a shortlist of potential candidates to replace President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee or join Vice President Kamala Harris in the party’s November primary.

Last week, Shapiro said he stood with Biden and said Trump is an “existential threat to this country.” He said he would do “everything in my power politically” to “show how dangerous Donald Trump would be.”

Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for Shapiro, said Shapiro has “condemned violence and sought to unite people throughout his time as an elected official, and he will continue to urge his fellow Pennsylvanians to peacefully engage in our politics.”

It is unclear how long the lull in political rhetoric from the governor — and other politicians — will last.

But for now, he’s getting praise from the other side of the aisle. State House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler (R., Lancaster) said he appreciated the remarks from Shapiro, who called Comperatore a hero.

“I think that’s very true,” Cutler said while attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. “He was protective of his family, and as a father, that’s something I can relate to.”

Journalist Julia Terruso assisted us in preparing this report.