Tim Balch: Shapiro rebukes Trump on TV for promises unkept

On Thursday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) made an appearance on CBS’s Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The governor and host discussed topics that varied from questions about Shapiro’s personal life to his regular interactions with Pennsylvania voters. 

He went on to explain why he thinks he’s able to communicate so effectively to voters who may have also voted for President Donald Trump. “These are good folks,” Shapiro said, “…that frankly have gotten frustrated over time because they saw [the] government just not solving problems for them. They saw too many people getting an unfair advantage.”

Shapiro then referred directly to rural voters who he thinks the president has abandoned. “I think what they saw in me is someone who gives a damn about them, …treats them with respect,” he said. “They saw me as someone who can cut through it and solve their problems. The difference between me and the president is he shows up in those areas…, he talks a good game, and then when he gets to govern, he does exactly the opposite.”

This isn’t the first time Shapiro has publicly criticized the Republican president for what he perceives as governmental negligence. Earlier this month, the governor joined a multistate lawsuit to unfreeze federal funding allocated to Pennsylvania and other states for public schools and education-related programs. (Since then, the Trump administration has agreed to release $1.3 billion of that promised funding.) 

Shapiro continued: “I was showing up in rural areas where Donald Trump was showing up and he was pledging to not cut people off of Medicaid. Then, the first big thing he does [is] cut 310,000 Pennsylvanians off Medicaid with this [“Big Beautiful”] bill, including 154,000 in communities that voted for him.”

Shapiro’s appearance with Colbert comes at a volatile time for the late-night talk show industry. Earlier this month, CBS announced it was cancelling The Late Show, initially hosted by David Letterman, effectively ending a total 32-year run on the network. The announcement immediately caused controversy, and came as a surprise to all as The Late Show was the highest-rated program in that particular timeslot. (Colbert’s ratings actually shot up significantly following the announcement.)  

So why would they move to cancel? In a statement, CBS insisted that the decision was strictly financial, but skeptics fear that the decision was most likely motivated by a lawsuit settlement made to Trump to the tune of $16 million. Trump’s litigation alleged journalistic bias during the 2024 general election cycle when standard video editing made it appear as though CBS was unfairly presenting interview clips in favor of the ultimately unsuccessful presidential candidate Kamala Harris. 

The lawsuit itself has come under massive scrutiny, as commentators and political scholars view it as a way to essentially “shake down” any news organization that fails to paint the president in a favorable light. To many, the settlement paid by CBS represents an attempt at journalistic bribery so that other media organizations might think twice about airing content that may be perceived as disparaging towards Trump.

In light of all this, it’s encouraging to see Shapiro speak candidly and unapologetically about Trump on national television. The president’s vow to destroy his “enemies”, even if it means suing them into compliance, appears to be one of the few campaign promises he’s willing to keep. If only that promise served anyone but himself. 

In the wake of what David Letterman himself calls a “cowardly” move by CBS to bend and capitulate to Trump’s lawsuit, numerous popular satirists have vowed to “turn up the heat.” Just watch the newest episode of Comedy Central’s South Park to see how they chose to skewer Trump. 

If the president thinks he can bully and intimidate media outlets with threats of litigation, he’s only going to face greater opposition from free-speech advocates on all sides of the political spectrum. There’s no shortage of fodder: Trump has already fielded a tidal wave of condemnation following the mishandling of his self-made Jeffrey Epstein dilemma, an issue the president can’t seem to hide from. Even his most loyal supporters are starting to turn on him because of it.

In times like these, when the leader of the free world so frequently oversteps his executive powers, it’s becoming more and more crucial for dissenters to air their views without fear of reprisal. The question now is: How long until Trump chooses his next target for silencing? And who will be in his sights?

Tim Balch is a copywriter in Lansdale.