WASHINGTON (WHP) — President Donald Trump addressed the arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in a meeting inside the White House on Monday, saying the suspect was “not a fan” of him and “probably just a whack job.”
Trump answered a reporter’s question about the Sunday morning attack during a meeting in the Oval Office with the president of El Salvador.
“Have you attributed a motive through the FBI investigation behind the attack on Governor Shapiro?” the reported asked the president.
“I haven’t, but the attacker was not a fan of Trump,” he replied. “I understand, just from what I read and from what I’ve been told, the attacker basically wasn’t a fan of anybody. It’s probably just a whack job and certainly a thing like that can not be allowed to happen.”
Governor Shapiro and his family were safely evacuated from the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg around 2 a.m. on Sunday after a suspect set the building on fire.
The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Harrisburg native Cody Balmer, used Molotov cocktails and had a “harbored hatred toward Governor Shapiro”, according to state troopers.
READ MORE | Alleged arsonist said he would’ve beaten Gov. Shapiro with hammer if caught: troopers
Balmer faces a slew of charges, including attempted murder and terrorism for the arson that charred the area where the governor was celebrating Passover just hours before.
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