
President Donald Trump claimed he didn't know about the attempt to burn down the residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro on Sunday, more than a day after it happened.
"I just heard about it" -- Trump opined at length about the Masters while talking to reporters this morning but played completely dumb about the arson attack targeting Gov. Shapiro pic.twitter.com/260OEI1qAj
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2025
"I just heard about it, I have to look into it," Trump told press aboard the Air Force One.
Trump, however, addressed a variety of topics on social media on Sunday, including congratulating Rory McIlroy for his victory in the Augusta Masters, in which he commended him for showing "tremendous courage and talent."
Investigators have revealed that the man who attempted to ignite the residence as motivated largely by financial issues. They are digging into records to check whether 38-year-old Cody Balmer was experiencing financial problems, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News' affiliate in Philadelphia.
Balmer used Molotov cocktails to start the fire, the criminal complaint against him detailed. He threw them inside the mansion after breaking a window with a hammer. He also planned to use the tool to beat Shapiro, authorities said.
A mechanic, Balmer turned himself in outside Pennsylvania State Police headquarters. He admitted to "harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro," police said. He added that he "removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into Heineken bottles he found at his residence" to make the explosive cocktails.
Balmer then walked an hour to the residence to carry out the plan. He then scaled a perimeter fence before throwing the cocktails inside, admitting "it was a possibility that people could be injured by his actions."
Shapiro addressed the incident on Sunday, saying the attack was "not just on our family, but on the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania." "This kind of violence has become far too common in our society, and it has to stop," he added.
"We do know that this attack was targeted... this type of violence is not okay," added Shapiro, who hours before had celebrated the first night of the Jewish holiday Passover with his family. "And I don't give a damn if it's coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another," he added.
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