Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington Township made an appearance on “Good Morning America” on Friday, April 18 for an exclusive interview about the attempted homicide and arson attack at the Governor’s Residence “and the importance of combatting political violence in this country,” Shapiro said in a press release.

Shapiro spoke from one of the fire-damaged rooms at the residence.

“It’s real. I mean, this is, sadly, a real part of our society today, and it needs to be universally condemned, George,” Shapiro said during the appearance. “I don’t care if it’s coming from the left, from the right. I don’t care if it’s coming from someone who you voted for, someone who you didn’t vote for, someone on your team, or someone on the other team. I think every single leader has a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity and condemn this kind of violence.”

Shapiro noted that he condemned “in the strongest of terms” the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania last year.

Officials said on Thursday that the motive behind arsonist Cody Balmer’s actions remain unclear. Members of Balmer’s family told media outlets that he struggles with mental illness, and that he stopped taking his medication for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and had become “irritable and agitated.”

Shapiro said on Friday, “In this case, I’m the victim of the crime. I’m not the prosecutor. Prosecutors will weigh all the different evidence, determine what the motive is. I think, for me to dwell on that, to focus on that, is not my job.”

In related news, The Philadelphia Inquirer obtained Balmer’s minute-long phone call to Dauphin County 911, during which he told dispatchers Shapiro needed to leave his family and friends alone.

“Gov. Josh Shapiro needs to know that Cody Balmer will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” he said, adding that Shapiro needed “to stop having my friends killed.”

The call continued:

I’m tired of offering extensions of peace. I only want to be able to provide for my children. I should not be taken to these extremes. It’s not fair. I wish no harm onto anyone, but that man, that man, he is doing serious harm to probably yourself included, and I do wish you the best, sir.

The “Good Morning America” interview is below:

Photos: goodmorningamerica.com