In CNN interview, Govs. Spencer Cox of Utah and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania condemn political violence

By Arit John, CNN

(CNN) — Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro condemned the rise of political violence during a joint interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, calling on politicians, including President Donald Trump, to help lower the temperature in the country.

The two responded on Tuesday to the president’s comments criticizing Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar during a rally in Pennsylvania. The president said his administration “ought to get her the hell out” of the United States and disparaged her home country as “filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime.”

Cox stressed that it’s possible to call for Omar to be voted out of office without attacking her religion or ethnic background.

“I know that the president disagrees with me,” he said, later adding: “I understand he’s not interested in uniting the country, and he would tell you that, I think, if he were sitting here with us tonight.”

Shapiro said leaders have a responsibility to speak “with moral clarity,” which he said the president had failed to do.

“What he does – when he attacks a fellow American like that – is it sends a signal to others in this country that others can be scapegoated, others can be singled out, others can be targeted or, worse yet, others can become victims of political violence,” he said. “I think the president needs to do better.”

Cox and Shapiro sat down with CNN at Washington National Cathedral as part of a campaign to speak out against the rise in political violence, including recent attacks that have rocked their own states. In April, a man attempted to assassinate Shapiro and his family in an arson attack on the governor’s mansion. Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated on a Utah college campus in September.

Shapiro said he felt it was important to engage in the effort with Cox, whom he disagrees with on several issues.

“The antidote to the violence that we are seeing is for the American people to see that there are leaders who are able to disagree, but disagree in a constructive way,” he said.

The two spoke about how their different faiths – Shapiro is Jewish, and Cox is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – shape their approach to politics. They also spoke of the need to call out members of their own parties who engage in dangerous rhetoric.

“Part of speaking and acting with moral clarity is calling it out wherever we see it,” Shapiro said, noting that he criticized liberals who celebrated the death of Kirk or the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler last year.

The two also shared some policy differences. On affordability concerns, which Trump has referred to as a “hoax,” Shapiro criticized the president’s policies, from tariffs to this year’s tax and domestic policy legislation, which he said contributed to the issue.

“I would say that this is not a hoax, but this is a moment where people really need relief,” Shapiro said.

“We want the president to succeed in reducing prices. The problem is every policy he’s put in place has jacked up prices,” he added.

Cox agreed that voters’ cost-of-living concerns are real, but placed most of the blame on the past administration. He said that Trump was elected in 2024 after campaigning on those economic worries.

“I believe that the Biden policies did hurt our country, and I believe that they do continue to hurt our country,” Cox said. “We saw a significant increase in prices because of those policies. And I’m not sure we’re, quite honestly, doing enough to reduce those prices right now.”

Despite their political differences, Cox and Shapiro spoke highly of each other throughout the interview, praising the work they said their fellow governor had done to “get stuff done” in their respective states.

Cox said he thought Shapiro would make a good president, and that he’s “biased” toward governors.

“I’ve been very impressed with what he’s been able to do, on the economy, with permitting reform, cutting regulation – that sounded like red state stuff,” Cox said. “And he’s doing it.”

The Utah governor later added: “I also want to say: I really hope a Republican wins, I just need to point that out.”

Shapiro said Cox would also be a good leader.

“I think we’re gonna need a lot of healing in this country after three more years of Donald Trump,” Shapiro said. “I think a guy like Spencer Cox can provide that kind of healing and that moral clarity our country needs.”

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