A Pennsylvania Republican congressman is now claiming without evidence that Governor Shapiro’s official residence was lit on fire because the governor is too anti-Trump. Evidence so far points to the alleged perpetrator’s anti-Israel stance as the reason for the attack. 

The Pennsylvania governor’s mansion at Harrisburg burned in the early hours of April 13, the first night of Passover. The governor, his family, and some friends were inside the residence at the time, though all were safely evacuated. According to a warrant from Pennsylvania state police, which was first obtained by PennLive, suspect Cody Balmer planned to kill Mr. Shapiro with a hammer because of “what he wants to do to Palestinian people.”

On Wednesday, a Republican lawmaker from the Commonwealth, Congressman Dan Meuser, claimed on a local radio station that Mr. Shapiro may have invited the attack because he is too anti-Trump. 

Mr. Meuser says that while the attempted assassination was “absolutely awful” and “needs to be condemned,” the governor should also “tone it down.”

“There was nothing to state other than how terrible what occurred was, but look, this has been going on from the left and the right,” Mr. Meuser said. “[Mr. Balmer] was a psycho of course, and our hearts go out to the Shapiro family on this, but, you know, they’ve gotta tone it down, too.”

“Every action Josh Shapiro has taken so far against the president so far has either been a lawsuit or a falsehood. That’s not helpful either,” the congressman added. 

The host of the radio program, Bob Cordaro, then posited that Mr. Shapiro did not do enough to keep his official residence protected on that night. “His incompetence in protecting the governor’s mansion … It is charred, it is substantially damaged, and man, he better get to the bottom of the incompetence that allowed it to happen.”

Mr. Meuser agreed, responding, “Yeah.”

The Republican congressman during the interview also drew an equivalence between the attacks on Tesla dealerships and the Cybertruck bombing outside of the Trump hotel at Las Vegas to the arson at the governor’s mansion. 

“There’s been so many Tesla dealerships firebombed, there was a firebomb [at a[ GOP headquarters out west, and then meanwhile you’ve got those on the left, you know, continuing to make … violent type of hostile commentary,” Mr. Meuser said. 

Mr. Meuser further criticized Mr. Shapiro for not saying enough about the suicide bombing of the Las Vegas Trump hotel. 

“You have a car bomb go off in front of the Trump hotel and I’m not sure the governor’s office made too much of a statement about that,” the congressman said. 

Mr. Shapiro seemed shocked by Mr. Meuser’s claims when asked about the comments during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. 

“He said that?” Mr. Shapiro asked when a reporter informed him about the congressman’s remarks. 

After taking a deep breath, the governor made clear that he was disappointed by his fellow Pennsylvanian’s claims. 

“Look, I’ve said for years leaders have a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity. It would appear that the congressman failed to measure up to that,” Mr. Shapiro said.