President Donald Trump cautioned Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro about the inherent dangers of the presidency during a phone call last year, telling him the job is "very, very dangerous," Shapiro said in an interview with CBS News.
Shapiro recounted the call on "CBS Sunday Morning," airing this weekend. He told Norah O'Donnell that Trump reached out about a week after Shapiro's official residence was set on fire last spring, just hours after his family celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover.
According to Shapiro, he initially ignored the call after seeing an unfamiliar number on his phone. When he later returned the call, he was surprised by who was on the other end.
"I didn't think he was going to answer that line. I assumed it was not really his number, and sure enough, he answered the phone," Shapiro said.
During the conversation, Trump offered federal law enforcement assistance to help secure the governor's mansion.
Shapiro said he had already been in contact with FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the investigation.
The suspect in the arson attack, Cody Balmer, 38, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.
Shapiro said he expected the conversation to wrap up quickly, but instead it shifted to a wide range of topics, including national politics and the 2028 presidential election.
While Shapiro has not announced any plans to seek the White House, he said the subject came up anyway.
"And then, I frankly expected the conversation to end there just a couple minutes in. And he then went on to bring up a lot of other topics," the governor said.
One of those topics was whether Shapiro might consider a future presidential run. The governor said he made clear at the time that he was "not looking to run."
Shapiro said Trump went on to warn him about the personal risks of holding the nation's highest office, pointing to the rise in political violence and referencing the 2024 assassination attempt against Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"And he said, 'You know, being president's a really dangerous job.' And he rattled off other jobs that have a lower fatality rate than presidents.
"And he said, 'It's very, very dangerous. Just be careful.'"
Shapiro said he again pushed back on the idea of running.
"I said, 'Mr. President, I'm not looking to run for president.' And he said, 'Well, I just wanted to share that with you.'"
Shapiro described the exchange as unexpected but said he appreciated the outreach.
"And so, it was a strange conversation that bounced through a lot of different topics. But look, I appreciate the fact that he called," he said.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.