ABC, CBS Pitch Softballs on Deportations, Minneapolis Unrest to PA Dem Shapiro
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ABC, CBS Pitch Softballs on Deportations, Minneapolis Unrest to PA Dem Shapiro

This past Tuesday, CBS Mornings and ABC's Good Morning America interviewed Pennsylvania Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro as part of his book tour and, instead of seriously examining the realities of sanctuary cities and states, the discussions leaned more toward political rhetoric. CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King began their segment by asking Shapiro whether he believed the reassignment of Gregory Bovino and the change in Kristi Noem’s duties were sufficient. Shapiro responded “No… I have not heard the president say just because Bovino is out or Noem is out, we’re going to stop pulling people over because they have an accent.” Kelly O’Grady, co-host of CBS Saturday Morning, chimed in that according to President Trump, he and Governor Tim Walz are “on the same wavelength.” O’Grady wanted to know if Shapiro would approach President Trump “combatively or cooperatively.” Shapiro acknowledged that as “an executive, you’ve got a responsibility to dialogue with those whom you vehemently disagree with.” Despite these levels of sucking up (like here on last Tuesday's 'CBS Mornings'), the Josh Shapiro book tour really hasn't gone....anywhere. (The #AlexPretti case probably didn't help.) pic.twitter.com/TBmlSwWi1Q — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 2, 2026 Still not focusing on the consequences of sanctuary jurisdictions, King asked him whether he believed a lack of cooperation with ICE was part of the problem. Shapiro called it a “false pretext.” Then CBS Mornings host Vladimir Duthiers asked him if Secretary Noem should be impeached, and Shapiro responded, “she was wholly unqualified when she got the job.” Before addressing Shapiro’s new book Where We Keep the Light, Duthiers asked if he supports a government shutdown if no agreement is reached in the House. Shapiro answered, “I don’t think a shutdown will be necessary.” King concluded by asking Shapiro how he stays hopeful after his “family was the victim of political violence.” He exclaimed that his family “experienced extraordinary darkness” but then “saw so much goodness in the world and I wanted to write about that.” On Good Morning America, co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos also preferred to talk about the recent events in Minneapolis rather than the realistic effects of sanctuary cities and states. He asked Shapiro if he wanted the “CBP and ICE agents to be removed from all American cities.” Shapiro recalled his time as Pennsylvania’s chief law enforcement officer and criticized ICE and CBP, saying they not only fail to use proper police tactics, but they have also been “stopping people simply because they have an accent or because of the color of their skin.” Stephanopoulos addressed Shapiro’s new book and asked him how the events in Minneapolis challenge his thesis that there is “more that unites us than divides us.” Shapiro responded that he is inspired daily by “people bringing the light in their communities” despite the “darkness” and “challenges” in the world. Shapiro finished reacting to the Minneapolis events by stating: You know, I’m a father of four George, the idea that God forbid a million times over, this type of pain would be inflicted on my family and then the leader of the free world and his side kick would go out and attack my child the way this president did would make it harder for a community to heal, would throw gasoline on the fire. Click "Expand" to view the transcript: CBS Mornings 01/27/2026 7:30 a.m. Eastern GAYLE KING: We’re gonna turn back to the heated debate over the tactics of federal agents after the killing of ICU Nurse Alex Preti in Minneapolis. Some Republicans have now joined Democrats in saying something needs to change here. SENATOR TED CRUZ (R-TX): What I think the administration could do better is - is the tone with which they're describing this. That - that immediately when an incident like this happens they come out guns blazing, that we took out a violent terrorist – hooray. GOVERNOR GREG ABBOT (R-TX): In general, we need to have respect for law enforcement officers in the country. They, being the White House, need to recalibrate on what needs to be done to make sure that that respect is going to be reinstilled. KING: Now, after weeks of protest we have learned that Border Patrol Commander, that's Gregory Bovino, is leaving Minneapolis but the question is, is that enough? We are joined now by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who has been outspoken on this and many other issues. His new book is Where We Keep the Light: Stories from a Life of Service, and we need a lot of light these days. We’ll talk about that with Governor Shapiro. Thank you for joining us. GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO (D-PA): Good morning. KING: We’re gonna talk about the book, but we really do have to start with news today. Gregory Bovino, as you know, has been reassigned. Kristi Noem, we’re told, gets to keep her job but yet her duties will be changing as well. Do you think that’s enough? (....) KELLY O’GRADY: I do want to stay on the piece about tone, right, because we have heard a friend of yours, Governor Tim Walz, and the president, they had a call that the president said, you know, they're on the same wavelength. What is your take on that and sort of taking that tone down a little bit? I mean in your experience is it better to approach the president combatively or cooperatively? SHAPIRO: Look, I always believe in dialogue. I think when you are in these positions of authority, you are an executive, you’ve got a responsibility to dialogue with those whom you vehemently disagree with and I think it’s clear Governor Walz and the president have very serious disagreements. Governor Walz is doing the right thing by his state to engage and I think the tone, to use Cruz's word, is changing but the tactics haven't, the mission hasn't. I will believe this president when he calls off the mission, when ends it, when he sends these federal troops home and out of Minnesota and stops wreaking havoc on our community. KING: But, you know, governor, the Trump administration says that part of the problem in Minneapolis is that the state officials are not cooperating with ICE. Do you think that's the problem? SHAPIRO: No. I- KING: They're not cooperating with ICE. SHAPIRO: I think- KING: If they would just cooperate -- it doesn't happen in any other city in America they're saying. (....) VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: So there's a bill to that end, Governor, to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. It’s got 140 supporters in the House. Should Secretary Noem be impeached? SHAPIRO: She was wholly unqualified when she got the job. Trump should fire her and if Trump doesn't fire her then Congress should act. The thing I'm most focused on right now is whether or not Congress is going to stand up by -- I believe it’s this Friday is their deadline- KING: Yes. SHAPIRO: And stop the funding for this mission in Minnesota and stop funding any missions like this in Maine or anywhere else across the country. Congress needs to step up. It is one thing for Ted Cruz and Greg Abbott and others to begin to show a little bit of spine here in standing up to the president. It is a whole other thing for them to vote to stop funding these kinds of missions. That's the most important vote this week. KING: Are you worried that what’s happening in Minnesota could happen in Pennsylvania? SHAPIRO: Of course. KING: Have you thought about that, prepared for that? SHAPIRO: Of course. KING: Thinking about it, yeah? SHAPIRO: I think all governors are worried about that. We have prepared for that. The injection of federal officials against my will, against the will of a local mayor, we've prepared for it. I think we are prepared to handle it about as best as you can, but make no mistake if the president of the United States wants to wreak havoc on a community with federal troops we can push back, we can try and stop them in a court, we can try and stop them in the community, but, you know, we should all be quite concerned about that. We are as prepared as we can be. DUTHIERS: Can I just ask you before we move on to the book? SHAPIRO: Sure. DUTHIERS: Do you then support a government shutdown if we cannot reach an agreement in the House? SHAPIRO: I don’t - look, I don't think a shutdown will be necessary. It does seem like there is bipartisan consensus that the manner in which this deployment in Minnesota has been carried out is wrong and needs to end. All the Congress needs to do is pull back on the funding and puts the civic language in the bill that says "You can't fund an operation like what is going on in Minnesota." There should be bipartisan consensus for that. KING: Your book Where We Keep the Light, you know, you open with a very pointed story. I will never forget that day. Your family was the victim of political violence. Yet as you sit here today you said you still have light, you still have hope. How? (....) DUTHIERS: It is a fascinating book- KING: It’s a really good read- DUTHIERS: It really is, including how you wrestle with your faith but also how you evolve when you think about certain situations. Thank you very much for joining us. KING: I will see you tonight at the 92nd Street Y because we’re gonna have a Q&A. One of the stories that Josh Shapiro tells it involves him being called to the principal's office- SHAPIRO: Oh, boy- KING: for an incident with a locker. DUTHIERS: Okay. KING: Incident with a locker. DUTHIERS: That's why we want people to read the book. KING: Josh Shapiro? [LAUGHS] KING: To be continued. DUTHIERS: Governor, thank you so much as always. SHAPIRO: Thank you. DUTHIERS : Really great to have you. SHAPIRO: I’ll see you tonight, Gayle. KING: Yes. DUTHIERS: Where We Keep the Light is on sale right now.   Good Morning America 01/27/2026 8:15 a.m. Eastern GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We are joined by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro out with a new book Where We Keep the Lights: Stories from a Life of Service. Governor thank you for joining us this morning. I know you’re stuck there in Pennsylvania because of all the snow, and I want to get to the book but first your reaction to the events in Minneapolis this weekend the shooting of Alex Pretti. GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO (D-PA): Look, it is just awful and my heart breaks for Alex Pretti, his family, for Renee Good a few weeks before that. Look, a fundamental responsibility for government is to keep people safe and part of the way you keep people safe is by building trust between law enforcement and the community. What Donald Trump and the federal government are doing is eroding that trust, is making people less safe and it is time to terminate this mission. This mission led by CBP and ICE, this mission directed by Trump and Vance and Noem to wreak havoc on a community and we need a full investigation led, I believe, by the state government to determine all of the facts surrounding the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Their families deserve that. The community deserves that and we deserve peace and safety in the community at a time where we see the president, the federal government simply gaslighting us, racking up the temperature and making people less safe. STEPHANOPOULOS: What do you mean exactly by “terminate the mission?” You want the CBP and ICE agents to be removed from all American cities? (....) STEPHANOPOULOS: Do you support the effort by Democrats in Congress to block the funding of the Department of Homeland Security until these reforms are in place that could lead to a partial government shutdown? SHAPIRO: You know, I took note of Senator Cortez Masto’s plan. She understands the importance of investing in law enforcement but by withholding the funds for this mission I think she makes the exact right point. The challenge here, the problem here, pardon me George, is the direction that these federal agents are receiving. The direction that is coming all the way from the top from Trump and Vance, and Noem, that is compromised and it needs to be terminated, and I would not continue funding this and giving the president a blank check to wreak havoc and undermine people’s constitutional rights in our cities. STEPHANOPOULOS: One of the core principles you enunciate in your book is that we have more that unites us than divides us. You see what’s happening in Minneapolis.  You see what’s happening in the streets of our country and does it challenge your thesis? (....) STEPHANOPOULOS: And how do public officials like you inspire that kind of light? (....) STEPHANOPOULOS: Governor Shapiro thanks for your time this morning. Where We Keep the Light is out tomorrow.