Podcast Summary: "Kamala Is Lying? Feat. Governor Josh Shapiro"

In Good Faith with Philip DeFranco – September 25, 2025

Episode Overview

In this candid mini-episode, Philip DeFranco sits down with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. The conversation dives into the rise in political violence in America, the responsibilities and actions of political leaders (including direct criticism of Donald Trump), free speech issues under the Trump administration, and Shapiro's take on recent claims from Vice President Kamala Harris's new book. The episode closes with a lively debate about NFL quarterbacks, adding a personal touch to an otherwise heavy discussion.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Political Violence in America

[00:00–02:23]

• Governor Shapiro recounts his own experience as a victim of political violence (arson attack), noting the universality of the issue.

  "The fix requires all leaders to speak and act with moral clarity, to universally condemn violence, to acknowledge that there have been victims on the political left and the political right..."
  — Josh Shapiro [01:06]

• Responsibility of leaders: Shapiro stresses that political leaders need to dial down partisanship and rhetoric, citing Trump's failures in this area.

  "Something President Trump has failed to do."
  — Josh Shapiro [01:55]

2. Critique of Trump’s Response to Political Violence

[02:23–06:34]

• Specific example: The killing of Charlie Kirk

  "What President Trump should have done in the wake of that is acknowledge...that Charlie Kirk is sadly yet one more example of political violence... Instead, he created more division, he stoked more outrage."
  — Josh Shapiro [02:27]

• Leadership style: Shapiro contrasts healing and divisive leadership, lamenting Trump's "rhetoric of revenge."

  "He used words of revenge, the rhetoric of revenge, instead of words of healing."
  — Josh Shapiro [03:09]

• Memorable analogy:

  "Speed of the leader, speed of the group."
  — Josh Shapiro referencing his wife [03:53]

• Historical Comparison: Violence is not new, but Shapiro argues,

  "What is, I think, unique is...[previous presidents] sought to bring down the temperature...Now you've got a leader...who is using these moments...to further divide us. That is what is unique."
  — Josh Shapiro [05:40]

3. What Can Be Done?

[06:34–09:42]

• Lead by example: Shapiro advocates for not “rewarding” divisive leaders and modeling positive behavior.

• Personal anecdote: After the attempt on his life, he highlights positive reactions from Pennsylvanians:

  "What I saw back from my fellow Pennsylvanians was just goodness and decency and prayer coming from people of all different faiths and all different walks of life..."
  — Josh Shapiro [08:27]

• On the power of everyday citizens:

  "If the President...is not going to display the core decency that exists here in America...the best thing we can do is not reward his behavior and show that that's not the American way."
  — Josh Shapiro [09:27]

4. Hard Power vs. Soft Power—Are We Past Decency?

[09:42–11:52]

• DeFranco prompts a discussion about whether political rage and hard power have become priorities over compromise.
• Shapiro’s response: He reiterates his commitment to bridge-building and warns against normalizing chaos and unilateral policies:

  "Donald Trump is looking for ways to inject chaos and rage and division…He stokes that division to try and create energy around his policies, which I think is really dangerous."
  — Josh Shapiro [10:32]

5. Free Speech & The Trump Administration

[11:52–15:41]

• Critique of new policies: Shapiro vehemently criticizes attempts to silence media and influencers:

  "It's really, really dangerous how this administration is taking the long arm of the federal government and reaching into police your speech..."
  — Josh Shapiro [12:07]

• On hypocrisy:

  "They are completely and utterly full of shit when it comes to talking about freedom..."
  — Josh Shapiro [15:12]

• Warning to all sides:

  "If you try and regulate speech the other way and go after your particular viewpoint, all that is is a race to the bottom. It's a slippery slope."
  — Josh Shapiro [14:37]

• Current example: Discussion of Jimmy Kimmel controversy and network’s response.

6. Kamala Harris Book & 2024 VP Selection

[16:43–19:10]

• Shapiro denies Harris’s claims:

  "No. And listen, the only thing I was focused on was helping her win..."
  — Josh Shapiro [17:13]

• Personal reflections: On not being selected as VP and continuing to help the ticket.

• On Harris and her role:

  “She has to account for that. I mean, she was in the room. She has to account for what she said and what she didn't say..."
  — Josh Shapiro [18:41]

• Biden fitness: Shapiro says he didn’t see Biden struggling to do the job, but saw “a candidate…struggling in his reelection.” He directly relayed concerns to Biden.

  "I was very direct about the concerns I saw on the ground and the polling and the reaction I was getting from folks..."
  — Josh Shapiro [20:10]

7. Sports Segment—Jalen Hurts vs. Josh Allen

[20:23–22:48]

• DeFranco asks for Shapiro’s NFL pick:

  "The answer is Jalen Hurts...This guy is a champ. Now listen, Josh Allen is very, very, very good. He's excellent."
  — Josh Shapiro [20:31]

• On Russell Wilson:

  "I really like Russell Wilson, but he did not look amazing yesterday..."
  — Josh Shapiro [21:41]

• Final hot take:

  "I would rank Josh Allen above Patrick Mahomes. I think Patrick Mahomes gets way too much credit..."
  — Josh Shapiro [22:26]

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "The fix requires all leaders to speak and act with moral clarity, to universally condemn violence..."
  — Josh Shapiro [01:06]

• "When you've got a leader like Donald Trump that's focused on pointing fingers and us versus them and creating divisions, well, it's no shock to me that one of his chief advisors subscribes to that viewpoint as well."
  — Josh Shapiro [03:53]

• "He used words of revenge, the rhetoric of revenge, instead of words of healing. And to me, that, that was not only a missed opportunity, but really dangerous for this country."
  — Josh Shapiro [03:09]

• "They are completely and utterly full of shit when it comes to talking about freedom..."
  — Josh Shapiro [15:12]

• "The answer is Jalen Hurts."
  — Josh Shapiro [20:31]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Topic/Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Introduction to Shapiro & overview | | 01:06 | Shapiro on political violence and solutions | | 02:23 | Trump’s response to Charlie Kirk killing | | 03:53 | Division & leadership—“Speed of the leader, speed of the group” | | 05:40 | Historical context of political violence | | 08:27 | Shapiro’s own experience & Pennsylvanian decency | | 12:07 | Free speech under Trump & media crackdowns | | 15:12 | “Utterly full of shit”—Shapiro on GOP freedom hypocrisy | | 16:43 | Kamala Harris book controversy | | 17:13 | Shapiro denies Harris’s allegations | | 18:41 | Harris’s role with Biden | | 20:31 | Jalen Hurts vs. Josh Allen; NFL banter | | 22:26 | Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes |

Final Notes

Despite the gravity of the political discussion, Governor Shapiro and Philip DeFranco maintain a candid, sometimes humorous tone, especially when delving into sports. Governor Shapiro is adamant about the dangers of divisive leadership and the importance of moral clarity and free speech, while directly addressing rumors spurred by Kamala Harris’s memoir. The episode closes on a lighter note, humanizing the conversation and offering a glimpse into Shapiro’s personal interests.

Summary prepared for readers who need a thorough but accessible understanding of the episode’s content and tone.