Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) criticized President Donald Trump’s response to the deadly Iranian protests, saying he hasn’t “seen much” action from the president’s support of the protesters.
Trump wrote on Truth Social last week that “help is on the way” when he encouraged the Iranian protesters to continue their demonstrations, canceling his meeting with Iranian officials. Shapiro commended the “extraordinary bravery” of the protesters before sharing scrutiny over Trump’s statement on the matter.
“You know, the president had a lot of bluster over the last couple days about how he was going to have the backs of these Iranian protesters. I haven’t seen much yet,” Shapiro said on Fox News’s The Sunday Briefing.
The governor added that if Trump makes a “threat” to a country targeting its protesters, then the president must be prepared to “follow through” with it.
Iran is threatening to wage “all-out war” if Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is targeted after Trump voiced support for regime change in Tehran. Trump recently described Khamenei as a “sick man” who should “stop killing people.”
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Shapiro’s criticism of Trump comes shortly after he was critical of Vice President JD Vance and his take on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shooting in Minneapolis. The governor said Vance’s defense of the ICE officer involved in the shooting is “another example” of Vance having “absolutely no core.”
Shapiro was also asked on Sunday about Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) past comparison of ICE officers to the Gestapo, though Shapiro declined, suggesting it wasn’t his place to advise other governors. He added that Pennsylvania respects law enforcement.