{"id":2542385,"date":"2026-01-18T16:19:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T21:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/josh-shapiro-hits-trump-for-not-backing-up-iran-bluster-amid-deadly-protests\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T16:20:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T21:20:23","slug":"josh-shapiro-hits-trump-for-not-backing-up-iran-bluster-amid-deadly-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/josh-shapiro-hits-trump-for-not-backing-up-iran-bluster-amid-deadly-protests\/","title":{"rendered":"Josh Shapiro hits Trump for not backing up Iran &#8216;bluster&#8217; amid deadly protests"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjosh-shapiro-hits-trump-for-not-backing-up-iran-bluster-amid-deadly-protests%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2542385&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro criticized President Donald Trump for offering rhetorical support to Iranian protesters without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/one-year-after-the-death-of-george-floyd-the-sports-world-reacts\/\" title=\"One Year After The Death Of George Floyd, The Sports World Reacts\">taking concrete action<\/a>,saying on Fox News that he&#8217;s &#8220;seen much&#8221; bluster but not follow-through after Trump wrote &#8220;help is on the way&#8221; and canceled a meeting with Iranian officials. Shapiro praised the protesters&#8217; bravery but argued that any presidential threats toward a country must be backed by the willingness to act. The remarks come <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >amid heightened tensions<\/a> after Trump called Ayatollah Khamenei a &#8220;sick man&#8221; and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/army-investigating-chaplain-who-said-transgender-people-unqualified-to-serve\/\" title=\"Army Investigating Chaplain Who Said Transgender People \u2018Unqualified To Serve\u2019\">voiced support<\/a> for regime change, while Iran warned it could wage &#8220;all-out war&#8221; if its leadership is targeted.Shapiro also took aim at Vice President JD Vance&#8217;s defense of an ICE officer involved in a Minneapolis shooting and declined to weigh in on Gov. Tim Walz&#8217;s controversial comments about ICE, saying Pennsylvania respects law enforcement.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Josh Shapiro hits Trump for not backing up Iran &lsquo;bluster&rsquo; amid deadly protests<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2475521\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/4421719\/pennsylvanias-blue-wave\/\">Josh Shapiro<\/a> (D-PA) criticized President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4423229\/trump-battle-in-the-arctic-greenland-bessent\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>&rsquo;s response to the deadly Iranian protests, saying he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/despite-insistence-by-democrat-politicians-and-medical-elites-empirical-evidence-does-not-conclusively-show-that-masks-reduce-the-spread-of-covid\/\" title=\"Despite Insistence by Democrat Politicians and Medical Elites, Empirical Evidence DOES NOT Conclusively Show that Masks Reduce the Spread of COVID\">hasn&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t &ldquo;seen much&rdquo; action from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-taking-regeneron-drug-remdesivir-therapy-for-coronavirus-diagnosis-ex-wh-doctor-explains\/\" title=\"... taking Regeneron drug, Remdesivir therapy for coronavirus diagnosis: ex...WH doctor explains\">president&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s support of the protesters.<\/p>\n<p>Trump wrote on Truth Social last week that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4416829\/trump-cancels-talks-iran-delegation-protests-death-toll-hits-thousands\/\">&ldquo;help is on the way&rdquo;<\/a> when he encouraged the Iranian protesters to continue <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/4418296\/why-iran-silencing-online-speech-anti-regime-protests\/\">their demonstrations<\/a>, canceling his meeting with Iranian officials. Shapiro commended the &ldquo;extraordinary bravery&rdquo; of the protesters before sharing scrutiny over Trump&rsquo;s statement on the matter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4423401\/nobel-foundation-peace-prize-machado-trump\/\">Nobel Foundation says peace prize can&#8217;t be &#8216;passed on&#8217; after Machado gives Trump her award<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4422914\/trump-tariff-european-countries-oppose-greenland-acquisition\/\">Trump announces new tariff on European countries that oppose Greenland acquisition<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4422285\/josh-shapiro-white-house-trip-electricity-prices-help-2026-2028\/\">Shapiro&#8217;s White House trip to talk electricity prices could help him in 2026 and 2028<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance\/4422883\/trump-delays-involuntary-collections-of-unpaid-student-loans\/\">TRUMP DELAYS INVOLUNTARY COLLECTIONS OF UNPAID STUDENT LOANS: &lsquo;BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MISLED BORROWERS&rsquo;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You know, the president had a lot of bluster over the last couple days about how he was going to have the backs of these Iranian protesters. I haven&rsquo;t seen much yet,&rdquo; Shapiro said on Fox News&rsquo;s <em>The Sunday Briefing<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 320px; min-height: 180px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/share.grabien.com\/share?id=3329530&amp;userid=11311&amp;loginid=9421&amp;playercolor=%23000000&amp;playersize=auto&amp;code=fee09aa7efd3ebdeec091cdafe804d10\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0px;\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The governor added that if Trump makes a &ldquo;threat&rdquo; to a country targeting its protesters, then the president must be prepared to &ldquo;follow through&rdquo; with it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4423272\/iran-all-out-war-ayatollah-trump-regime-change\/\">Iran is threatening to wage &ldquo;all-out war&rdquo;<\/a> if Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is targeted after Trump voiced support for regime change in Tehran. Trump recently described Khamenei as a &ldquo;sick man&rdquo; who should &ldquo;stop killing people.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4421125\/awkward-question-josh-shapiro-running-reelection-pennsylvania\/\"><strong>THE AWKWARD QUESTION THAT JOSH SHAPIRO WON&rsquo;T ANSWER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Shapiro&rsquo;s criticism of Trump comes shortly after <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4413889\/shapiro-vance-minneapolis-ice-shooting\/\">he was critical of Vice President JD Vance<\/a> and his take on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shooting in Minneapolis. The governor said Vance&rsquo;s defense of the ICE officer involved in the shooting is &ldquo;another example&rdquo; of Vance having &ldquo;absolutely no core.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Shapiro was also asked on Sunday about Gov. Tim Walz&rsquo;s (D-MN) past <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3439510\/pat-fallon-tim-walz-ice-agents-trump-gestapo\/\">comparison of ICE officers to the Gestapo<\/a>, though Shapiro declined, suggesting it wasn&rsquo;t his place to advise other governors. He added that Pennsylvania respects law enforcement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shapiro: Trump&#8217;s Iran bluster lacks follow-through<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2632,"featured_media":2542386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-collage-99ogx1af9-1768763086709-e1768768867248.jpg?1768750870&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[32319,70533,37061,37683],"class_list":["post-2542385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-donald-trump","tag-iran-protests","tag-josh-shapiro","tag-u-s-foreign-policy"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-collage-99ogx1af9-1768763086709-e1768768867248.jpg?1768750870&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2542385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2632"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2542385"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2542385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2542389,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2542385\/revisions\/2542389"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2542386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2542385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2542385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2542385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}