Arsonist Arrested for Targeting PA Gov, Bukele's WH Visit, Blue Origin's Quick Trip： AM Update 4⧸15
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Summary
Disturbing new details emerge about the suspect in the arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro s residence, including his social media presence suggesting anti-government views. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.
Transcript
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Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Tuesday, April 15th, 2025. This is your AM
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Update. Last night, we experienced an attack not just on our family, but on the entire
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania here at the governor's residence. Disturbing new details about the
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suspect in the arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence. How can I
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return him to the United States? If I could smuggle him into the United States or what do I do?
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President of El Salvador, Naive Bukele, saying he will not return a suspected MS-13 gang member to
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the U.S. Federal authorities investigate a disturbing plot allegedly by a Wisconsin teen
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to kill President Trump. And the all-female Blue Origin spaceflight goes off without a hitch
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and without much time in space. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.
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today. Disturbing new details in the arson attack against Democrat governor from Pennsylvania,
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Josh Shapiro's home. 38-year-old suspect Cody Balmer, turning himself into police, held on state
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charges including attempted murder, aggravated arson, and terrorism with the likelihood of federal
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charges still to come. CNN reporting investigators believe mental health issues may be a factor in this
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attack. Mr. Balmer admitting to making Molotov cocktails with lawnmower gasoline and beer bottles.
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The suspect telling police he walked about one hour from his home in Harrisburg to the governor's home
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early Sunday morning. The affidavit alleging security cameras captured Mr. Balmer, breaking two windows
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with a hammer, throwing one Molotov cocktail through a broken window, and climbing in through the other.
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Once inside, according to the affidavit, Mr. Balmer tossed a second bottle to further spread the flames.
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Governor Shapiro and his family were awoken around 2 a.m. by state troopers, alerting them to the fire.
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Thankfully, there were no injuries. Photos of the aftermath showing extensive damage to the home.
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The governor speaking out in a Sunday press conference.
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Last night, we experienced an attack not just on our family, but on the entire Commonwealth of
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Pennsylvania here at the governor's residence. I spoke a couple hours ago with Director Cash Patel of
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the FBI. He promised all of the resources of the federal government. He was extremely kind and
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courteous and thoughtful in his conversation with me. And I thanked him and the women and men of the
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FBI and the President of the United States for their support. Lori and I are overwhelmed
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by the prayers and the messages of support that we've received from all across Pennsylvania and all
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across the United States. Authorities say Mr. Balmer admits to harboring hatred toward Governor
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Shapiro. The affidavit reading, quote, Balmer was asked specifically what he would have done if
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Governor Shapiro found him inside of his residence, to which Balmer advised he would have beaten him
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with his hammer. Mr. Balmer's social media presence suggesting anti-government views against both
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Democrats and Republicans. NBC reporting in 2022, Mr. Balmer posted an image of a Molotov cocktail with
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the words, be the light you want to see in the world. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle
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speaking out against political violence. Former President Biden posting to X, quote,
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there is no place for this type of evil in America. And as I told the governor yesterday,
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we must stand united against hatred and violence. Vice President J.D. Vance posting to X,
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thanks be to God that Governor Shapiro and his family were unharmed in this attack.
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Really disgusting violence. And I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice.
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President Trump speaking out from the Oval. The attacker was not a fan of Trump,
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I understand, just from what I read and from what I've been told.
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Uh, the attacker basically wasn't a fan of anybody. It's probably just a whack job.
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And certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen.
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Mr. Balmer has a criminal history. In 2015, pleading guilty to forgery and theft.
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Again in 2016, pleading guilty to forgery. Mr. Balmer also expected in court in a matter
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of days relating to a 2023 assault charge. President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, visiting the White
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House today to advance cooperation with the Trump administration in cracking down on foreign gang
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members illegally living in the U.S. Mr. Bukele agreeing in February to accept deported illegal
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aliens from the U.S. in exchange for a small fee. Reporters in the Oval pressing administration
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officials on the status of Kilmar Albrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador,
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previously found by two immigration judges to have ties to MS-13. In 2019, Mr. Garcia was ordered
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deported, but then convinced an immigration court to protect him from being sent to one country,
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El Salvador, claiming that he could face gang violence there. The DOJ acknowledging in March,
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Mr. Garcia, who is deportable, the question is to where, was loaded onto a plane destined for El
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Salvador due to, quote, an administrative error, end quote. Last week, the Supreme Court ruling a
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lower court may have overstepped its authority by ruling the federal government must facilitate and
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effectuate Mr. Garcia's return. The DOJ providing daily status updates to the court on Mr. Garcia now,
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stating he is held in the terrorism confinement center and is in good health. Attorney General
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Pam Bondi weighing in from the Oval. That's up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That's not up
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to us. The Supreme Court ruled, President, that if, as El Salvador wants to return him, this is
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international matters, foreign affairs. If they wanted to return him, we would facilitate it,
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meaning provide a plane. Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller elaborating on the Supreme
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Court's ruling. It's very arrogant, even, for American media to suggest that we would even tell
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El Salvador how to handle their own citizens as a starting point. As two immigration courts found
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that he was a member of MS-13, when President Trump declared MS-13 to be a foreign terrorist organization,
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that meant that he was no longer eligible under federal law, which I'm sure you know,
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you're very familiar with the INA, that he was no longer eligible for any form of immigration relief
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in the United States. A district court judge tried to tell the administration that they had to kidnap a
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citizen of El Salvador and fly him back here. That issue was raised to the Supreme Court, and the
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Supreme Court said the district court order was unlawful and its main components were reversed 9-0
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unanimously, stating clearly that neither Secretary of State nor the President could be compelled by
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anybody to forcibly retrieve a citizen of El Salvador. Mr. Miller going on to say if Mr. Garcia were sent
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back to the United States, he would be deported a second time. CNN White House correspondent Caitlin
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Collins asking President Bukele if he has plans to return Mr. Garcia. How can I return him to the
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United States? If I smuggle him into the United States or whether I do it first, I'm not going
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to do it. It's like, I mean, the question is preposterous. How can I smuggle a terrorist into
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the United States? I don't have the power to return him to the United States. I mean, we're not very fond
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of releasing terrorists into our country. Pressed again by Ms. Collins about returning Mr.
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Garcia, President Trump saying. And they said that it must be facilitated. Why don't you just say,
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isn't it wonderful that we're keeping criminals out of our country? Mr. Trump then saying the U.S.
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will work with El Salvador to remove as many illegal aliens from this country as possible. Coming up,
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federal authorities investigating a Wisconsin teenager for allegedly plotting to kill President
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Trump. And the details are alarming. And the all-female space crew, including pop star Katy Perry,
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returns safely to Earth after a trip that took less time than it would to load your dishwasher.
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As President Trump is settling into his new administration, one of the top Democrats in
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Congress aiming to undermine the Trump agenda is Democrat Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois.
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And according to our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, Senator Durbin has a new plan,
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a government takeover of your credit card. Today, Americans have thousands of choices in credit
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cards, but they say Senator Durbin's plan will result in less competition and less security,
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which means more risk for your credit and your identity. You can learn more for yourself at
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guardyourcard.org. And you could consider telling your senators to stop Dick Durbin's government
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takeover of your credit card before it's too late.
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Federal authorities investigating a disturbing case out of Wisconsin involving a suspected plot to
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assassinate President Trump by a 17-year-old named Nikita Kasap. In March, state authorities
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conducting a wellness check on the home of Tatiana Kasap and Donald Mayer, following a request from Mr.
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Mayer's mother. Kasap's step-grandmother telling local police she was unable to contact the family and
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learned from the high school that Kasap had not attended in two weeks. Authorities discovering
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Kasap's mother and stepfather deceased, both bodies badly decomposed with visible bullet wounds
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covered in blankets. Kasap nowhere to be found, his stepfather's car and the family dog missing.
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Waukesha authorities alleging Kasap fatally shot his parents and lived with the bodies for weeks
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before fleeing with the dog. He was arrested by local authorities in Kansas, discovered with
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thousands in cash, a smashed home safe, a number of electronic devices, his stepfather's gun and
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ammo. Wisconsin state authorities slapping Kasap with a slate of charges, including two counts of
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first-degree murder, two counts of hiding a corpse, theft of property, and operating a motor vehicle
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without the owner's consent. The 34-page document reading, quote, the killing of his parents appeared to
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be an effort to obtain the financial means and autonomy necessary to carry out his plan. An FBI review of
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documents discovered by state police include a manifesto in which they say Kasap calls for the
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assassination of President Trump to, quote, foment a political revolution in the United States and,
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quote, save the white race from Jewish-controlled politicians. According to the warrant, Kasap allegedly
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studied an image with, quote, directions on how to extend the range of an attack by drone
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and ways to avoid detection. The instructions provide direction to use a small dropper to drop
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an explosive Molotov cocktail or very strong topical poison. Federal authorities have yet to formally
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charge Kasap. The suspect, currently held on $1 million bond in Waukesha County Jail, is set for a May 7th
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arraignment relating to the state charges. The ladies of the Blue Origin space crew back safely on Earth
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after a brief, and we do mean brief, trip to space. The all-female crew, including Blue Origin founder
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Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sanchez, pop star Katy Perry, TV host Gail King, film producer Carrie Ann Flynn,
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civil rights activist Amanda Wynne, and NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe blasting into space in a round
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trip totaling 10 minutes and 21 seconds. The new Shepard rocket spending about three minutes just
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beyond the Earth's atmosphere. The group lauded by journalists covering the event for Blue Origin,
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who sounded almost like they were watching an Apollo mission.
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After you go through an experience like this, it's more than a team. It's almost like a family.
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That intensive training consisted of learning how to enter and exit the vessel,
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buckle their seatbelts, and talk to mission control. Katy Perry and Gail King kissing the ground
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upon their return. Jeff Bezos swooped up Lauren Sanchez like she was just back from a trip to Iraq.
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Ms. Sanchez offered this profundity just back from her flight.
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Earth looked so, it was so quiet. It was just quiet. And, um...
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I don't think you can describe it. Um, because, you know, what I was saying, it was like, um, quiet,
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but then also really alive. And you look at it and you're like, we're all in this together.
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And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for The Megan Kelly Show,
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live on SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash megankelly,