Ranking prominently for visibility on X — in response to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro‘s post about the arson perpetrated at the Governor’s Residence — is a comment that essentially condones the act of the arsonist.
The account — paradoxically called United We Stand — responded vituperatively to Shapiro’s post, which had expressed “eternal gratitude” to law enforcement and first responders, by asking:
“Did you speak out against the firebombing and shooting up of occupied Tesla buildings or cars? Did you condemn the riots that were burning and destroying our cities back in the ‘mostly peaceful’ summer of 2020? No?”
The user followed with assertion that “you reap what you sow.” (The user also suggests that the fire was a “false flag psyop” — the crown jewel of all conspiracy theories.)
Did you speak out against the firebombing and shooting up of occupied Tesla buildings or cars? Did you condemn the riots that were burning and destroying our cities back in the “mostly peaceful” summer of 2020? No? You reap what you sow even though I happen to believe this “fire”…
— United_We_Stand (@Pat_Riot_AF) April 13, 2025
The high placement and visibility on X of a comment that essentially condones violence is not as notable as it once would have been.
Yet the comment, which quickly garnered nearly 40K views, is perhaps notable for the hundreds of likes it has received and the many comments that agreed with its premise.
The ostensible support for such an act — and/or the failure to condemn it — also sparks concern as it comes on the heels of the nation’s shocking reaction to the cold-blooded killing of health care CEO Brian Thompson, allegedly by the vigilante Luigi Mangione.
Despite the support it garnered, objectors to violence and arson, some pointing out the “irony” of the “United” handle, got specific in rejecting the comment.
1. There weren’t any firebombings of Tesla dealerships in PA.
2. He wasn’t the Governor in 2020.
3. Cars are inanimate objects, not humans.
4. Did you condemn Jan 6th? Of course not.— slimpimpster (@theslimpimpster) April 13, 2025
Failure to condemn the violence, as in the United post above, was not rare in response to Shapiro’s post, leading one observer to say that “the FBI is going to have a field day with these comments” and imply that law enforcement may investigate those comments perceived as tacit or overt threats.
New FBI Director Kash Patel has shown an interest in parsing social media posts for criminal transgressions such as threats to injure.
The FBI is going to have a field day with some of these comments. I condemn all violence and may God protect everybody on both sides of the Isle. May we all learn to live together. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.
— Joshua Leffler (@JLeffler76221) April 14, 2025
Citing an alleged MAGA toleration for — if not promotion of — violence with an alleged wink-wink, some observers were reminded of when President Trump asked on the campaign trail how Nancy Pelosi‘s husband was doing.
I’ll never get used to Trump’s cruelty.
Today in California, while criticizing Nancy Pelosi, Trump decided to mock her husband Paul, who was attacked and seriously injured at his own home:
“How’s her husband doing, anybody know?” pic.twitter.com/sutYIweKub
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) September 29, 2023
The question, coming after Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi was attacked in his own home by an assailant with a hammer over political differences, was the kind taunt that would have been unthinkable for any past President, but which Trump’s audience loves — as the reaction above shows.
An account called LibertarianLars expressed sorrow about the Shapiro arson, and blamed both the GOP and Democrats for leaving people in a lamentable situation where “1 in 5 Americans think Violence is the Answer to our political problems. The reason more and more people are feeling this, both on the left and the right, is that they do not feel represented.”
I am sad that people resort to this. 1 in 5 Americans think Violence is the Answer to our political problems. The reason more and more people are feeling this, both on the left and the right, is that they do not feel represented, they do not feel their voice is heard. The RNC and…
— Lars Mapstead (@LibertarianLars) April 13, 2025