Washington — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Sunday that elected officials must “lead by example” as he condemned what he called increasingly “dangerous” campaign rhetoric ahead of Election Day.
“I think what you do is try and lead by example — as we are trying to do here, as I am trying to do here — and try to bring back kindness in the face of the cruelty that we see from this president,” Shapiro said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Shapiro, who was first elected governor in 2022 and is seeking reelection this year, also discussed threats against him and his family. He pointed to the 2025 arson attack on the governor’s residence, which occurred after he and his family celebrated Passover with a Seder there. “It weighs on me, but it doesn’t control me,” he said.
Shapiro said he has “profound differences from the person I’m running against, from the president and others.”
“But I don’t think engaging in cruelty is the answer,” he added. “I think it makes everyone less safe.”
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Asked about campaign rhetoric in states such as Michigan, where a closely watched Senate contest is underway, Shapiro called it “dangerous” and “hateful.”
Shapiro said that since the attack on the governor’s mansion, “even more people have threatened me and my wife, our family — threatened us based on how I worship.” While he acknowledged that “it weighs on you, certainly, to know that there are people out there trying to do you harm,” he said the threats also motivate him “to keep doing what I do to not let the bad guys win.”
Shapiro said he and his family discussed his decision to seek reelection before moving forward. “Everybody agreed — can’t let the bad guys win,” he said.
“We’ve got to keep going forward,” Shapiro added. “You’ve got to stand up against the hate. You’ve got to lead by example, and you’ve got to try and bring some decency back to this country.”
