The facts are as disturbing as they are clear: 38-year-old Cody Balmer scaled the fence of Pennsylvania’s governor’s mansion in Harrisburg, smashed windows with a hammer, hurled Molotov cocktails inside, and ignited a fire—all while Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were inside the residence.
Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. But the intent? Unmistakable. This was a direct attack on a sitting governor—an act of domestic terrorism, and a near-miss that could’ve turned deadly.
What was his motive? It wasn’t politics as usual. Balmer told a 911 operator he targeted Shapiro “because of what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.” He confessed to the arson and said he would have attacked Shapiro with his hammer if he encountered him. A search warrant later revealed that his motivation was rooted in a mix of pro-Palestinian radicalism and antisemitism, with authorities confirming that the attack was driven in part by Shapiro’s Jewish faith and support for Israel.
…and there it is https://t.co/ghITjQ2uDk
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 16, 2025
Let that sink in: A sitting U.S. governor was the target of a politically motivated firebombing—because he is Jewish and supports the State of Israel.
Yet, watch how quickly this story vanishes.
Balmer isn’t the ideal narrative villain. He isn’t a card-carrying member of a right-wing militia or MAGA enthusiast. In fact, he’s described as apolitical—disillusioned with both parties. That alone is enough to drain media interest. But compound that with his anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian, and anti-Jewish motivations, and the story all but collapses under the weight of progressive silence.
The same media that will dedicate weeklong segments to “dangerous rhetoric” on the right has little to say when that rhetoric manifests on the left—or when pro-Hamas sympathies turn violent. Where is the condemnation? Where is the consistency?
Update: The suspect who tried to murder Pennsylvania’s Dem Governor and his family told the police he was doing it due to what Shapiro “wants to do to the Palestinian people” https://t.co/cPeE7QSU4H pic.twitter.com/Blm9H0EB5m
— AG (@AGHamilton29) April 16, 2025
And this isn’t isolated. Attacks on Jewish individuals and institutions have surged nationwide. Tesla drivers and dealerships have been repeatedly targeted, a pattern of harassment that somehow fails to register with the same Democrats now decrying this arson attempt—only because it hit one of their own.
Governor Shapiro, once floated as a top-tier name for the 2024 ticket following Biden’s withdrawal, was quietly dropped from the shortlist. Why? Reports suggest two reasons: his support for Israel, and his Jewish identity. Even Kamala Harris’s chaotic VP camp allegedly viewed him as a liability. That’s not just politically toxic—that’s morally bankrupt.
