Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has come under fire online after taking time over the weekend to autograph a missile potentially destined for Russian assets in the Ukraine war.
Shapiro, considered the second candidate after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, posted a video of himself signing the missile at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP) in President Biden's hometown.
“We must all do our part in the fight for freedom – from the workers in Scranton who make Pennsylvania the arsenal of democracy to the brave Ukrainian soldiers protecting their country,” Shapiro captioned his video.
“We support Ukraine in its just defense of its homeland against Russian aggression.”
But the response from the right was forceful: Conservative commentator David Harris Jr. said the situation showed that “Democrats are now the party of war and they are proud of it. It's sad.”
“The United States should be negotiating peace, not fueling war,” added Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
“I am 100% against this and so are most Americans,” he wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “The US is funding the Ukrainian government with $1 billion a month to keep it running and funding most of the war by providing it with weapons, ammunition and equipment.”
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Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks at a Harris-Walz rally in Pennsylvania. (AP Photo)
Other critics contrasted the autograph with Shapiro's criticism of former President Trump.
“Zelenskyy basically endorsed Kamala in Pennsylvania while Josh Shapiro autographed ammunition,” Philadelphia commentator Joey Mannarino wrote on X.
“He called Trump and Vance 'radicals.' He also said Trump has no idea how to end the war. How can this not be some kind of violation by a man we fund?”
Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat who is in a tight re-election race with businessman David McCormick, was seen shaking hands with Zelenskyy as Shapiro wrote a message on the missile.
Other critics noted that chaos was erupting elsewhere in the state as Shapiro, Zelenskyy and Casey visited the munitions plant.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during the roll call of states at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024. (Reuters/Kevin Wurm)
Philadelphia native Jack Posobiec, a right-wing commentator and senior editor at Human Events, shared a video of that city embroiled in illegal “car meets” and the police activity in response.
At least three people were arrested and a police officer told WCAU they have photos of many other people who took over Center City, setting off fireworks, doing donuts with their cars, injuring police officers and causing chaos into the early hours of the morning, disturbing neighbors.
A video posted on X also appeared to show a downtown Apple store being looted Monday night.
“This was happening in Philadelphia while Josh Shapiro was taking selfies with artillery shells and Zelensky,” Posobiec said on X.
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The former Central Scranton Expressway, now the President Biden Expressway, branches off I-81 and continues toward Binghamton, New York. (Charles Creitz)
In an official statement, Shapiro said that Pennsylvania is the “cradle of American freedom” and therefore Pennsylvanians support Ukrainians in their fight against “blatant aggression.”
He also noted that Pennsylvania will sign an agreement with the Ukrainian state of Zaporizhia that will “foster collaboration for years to come.”
Regarding the agreement, Pennsylvania Secretary of Economic and Community Development Rick Siger told WHTM that the pact “will help support Ukraine's future economic revitalization, while boosting our economy and creating jobs for Pennsylvanians.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Shapiro and Casey for further comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
