Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) accused President Donald Trump of cherry-picking the political violence he is going to condemn. In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Shapiro said cherry-picking which violence we’re going to condemn ends up making some people feel like “a little bit is OK.”

JAKE TAPPER: So after the attempted assassination on then-candidate Trump last year in Butler, Pennsylvania, you called for the temperature to come down, for the political violence to stop. This incident against you and your family was in April. And since then, we’ve seen assassinations of Democratic politicians in Minnesota. We’ve seen the assassination of conservative — conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah. And just from where I’m sitting as a journalist, I see a lot of political violence all over the map, left-wing against right-wing, right-wing against left-wing, people targeted for their faith, people targeted for their ideology. Sometimes the perpetrators, you cant even really discern if they are on the political map… SHAPIRO: Right. TAPPER: … as much as just nihilistic. And — and yet, I have to say, the Trump administration only talks about left-wing violence. SHAPIRO: Yeah. TAPPER: They do not talk about right-wing violence. I don’t even know whether the guy that went after you is left-wing or right-wing, because the antisemitism is so prevalent on both sides right now. But talk a little bit, if you would, about that, because we hear President Trump faulting the left for political violence, and yet you and your family are victims of it as well. SHAPIRO: Yeah, just a few points. I think it’s an outstanding question. And it really gets at the heart of this. You correctly note that we have seen violence against people on the political left and right and violence perpetrated by people who have left-wing ideology and right-wing ideology. And you correctly noted that for many of these people, remember, they’re picking up a weapon. They’re trying to take someone’s life. These are not rational thinkers. And so they don’t think in a linear way. And so they’ve got views that are all over the map. And so to suggest that the responsibility of political violence exists on just one side of the aisle or another is — is absolutely wrong. And I think it is proven to be wrong. I — I think it is also important to note that after Butler, I was there calling it out, as were others. And what that is, I think, indicative of is my view that we need political leaders to call out the — the violence that we’re seeing in — you know, and the political — political violence that were seeing. We need leaders to call it out no matter who is perpetrating it or no matter who is a target. And the third point here, related to the president, is the president has been a victim of this violence. He should know better. He should want to bring down the temperature. And yet he’s been cherry-picking which violence he wants to condemn and which violence that he’s going to let pass. You’ve cited numerous examples, just sadly, in the last few months. It was horrific what happened to Charlie Kirk. And the president was right to call that out. But it was also horrific what happened to Speaker Hortman in Minnesota just a few weeks prior. He should have called that out as well. Just cherry-picking which violence we’re going to condemn ends up actually ratcheting up the temperature and making some people feel like there’s a pass, that — that a little bit of political violence is OK, as long as its directed in a certain way or against a certain type of person. We need the leader of this country to speak out against all political violence, as I try to do every day and I know as others try to do. And that is how we’re going to help bring down the temperature. When people feel as though it’s unacceptable no matter what, that’s when we can begin to heal and that’s when we can begin to repair this nation. TAPPER: I have a lot of political questions for you, but today’s not the day. Will you please come back, Governor Shapiro, so that I can ask you ones that don’t have to do with such a traumatic incident to you and your family? And I’m personally sending love to your family… SHAPIRO: Thanks. TAPPER: … and everybody touched by the horrific incident in Harrisburg back in April. Governor Josh Shapiro, thank you.

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