Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington Township was criticized this week for opposing President Donald Trump’s deployments of national troops to American cities, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Shapiro said in June that he would “stand up” to Trump if troops are sent to Pennsylvania.
“Anyone who tries to undermine Pennsylvanians’ fundamental freedoms will have to go through me — whether that’s a predatory corporation or the President of the United States,” Shapiro posted on Friday.
“Ever since the president made what I think is a wrongheaded decision to take the guard away from the governor and put them on the streets of Los Angeles, we are, have been preparing for such a thing to happen here in Philadelphia,” Shapiro said on Tuesday, as quoted by CBS News.
“Another wannabe Presidential candidate is desperate to get into the news cycle by attacking the President’s highly successful operations to drive down violent crime — this won’t fool the American people and Pennsylvanians who elected President Trump on his law-and-order platform,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Shapiro credited a decrease in Pennsylvania’s violent crime to millions of state dollars invested in community organizations and policing and said that any attempt to direct federal forces to U.S. cities is unconstitutional.
Last month, the governor’s office said gun violence was down 42% across Pennsylvania since Shapiro took office. State officials added that violent crime had also declined nearly 12% in 2024 compared to 2022.
“ We’ve invested millions of dollars in not only policing, but in community organizations that have helped bring down violent crime by 42%,” Shapiro said, noting that there’s no indication that the White House plans a federal intervention in Pennsylvania. “Now is not a time to disrupt that with distrust the way the President is doing in other communities.”
State treasurer Stacy Garrity, who is expected to challenge Shapiro for the governorship next year, said in a statement that “President Trump has shown that making America safe and cracking down on crime is a top priority.”
“Pennsylvania families are facing growing chaos and uncertainty in our streets,” she said, adding that it will take a Republican governor to “restore safety.”
Also on Friday, Shapiro said pharmacies will resume administering COVID vaccines.
“We’re standing up to the Trump Administration’s attempt to limit access to healthcare for those who need it most – and protecting access to the COVID vaccine for seniors and vulnerable Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro posted. “Because of our action, CVS and independent pharmacies will resume administering vaccines as quickly as possible.”
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