Opinion: Shapiro's Hidden Campaign: Taxpayer Dollars Fuel National PR Machine

A Governor's National Campaign: Taxpayer-Funded Ambitions

As the speculation about his presidential aspirations grows, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is already actively campaigning. However, this campaign isn’t fueled by traditional donors but rather by taxpayer funds. Shapiro’s political ambitions are supported by a significant war chest backed by megadonors such as Steven Spielberg, Reid Hoffman, George Soros, and Mike Bloomberg. Yet, election laws prevent him from using these funds for a federal campaign.

Instead of launching a leadership PAC like other potential 2028 contenders, Shapiro has chosen a different route: leveraging the machinery of state government to build his national brand. According to reports, he has tripled the size of the governor’s communications staff compared to 2017 levels, now employing 21 full-time staffers dedicated to press, social media, and influencer outreach. This extensive, taxpayer-funded PR team costs nearly $3 million annually, not including overhead, events, and other hidden expenses.

Shapiro’s public relations strategy involves a relentless media blitz. He frequently travels from Los Angeles to New York for national TV appearances, while his digital team produces an overwhelming amount of self-promotional content aimed at cultivating a national fanbase. His press secretary claims the goal is simply to "better communicate with the public," but this explanation falls short given Shapiro’s tendency to dodge tough questions, evade local press, and bury politically inconvenient stories.

In Harrisburg, Shapiro’s actions speak louder than his words. He campaigned on Lifeline Scholarships for children in failing schools but vetoed the bill during his first months in office. Today, he claims to have "no position" on the issue. When asked about the Save Women’s Sports Act, which would reserve girls’ sports for biological females, he refuses to say whether he would sign or veto it.

Despite his limited role as a governor, Shapiro often ventures into national politics. After President Trump’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, he admitted, “I know foreign policy isn’t part of my job description as Governor, but…” before launching into a monologue about Iran and global diplomacy. More recently, he criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s leadership while insisting that America must "flood the zone" with aid to Gaza.

Shapiro has turned the art of manufacturing controversy into a political strategy. He has made abortion a central part of his national messaging, repeatedly declaring, “As long as I’m your Governor, abortion will remain legal.” However, this rhetoric ignores the fact that no legislation to restrict abortion has been introduced or advanced out of committee in years. Despite this, his social media feeds are flooded with hundreds of abortion-related posts clearly aimed beyond Pennsylvania. From tweets to appearances on MSNBC, his messaging is overtly directed at out-of-state audiences.

For Pennsylvanians who disagree, he uses their tax dollars to mock and troll them—a strategy Fox News rightly dubbed a taxpayer-funded “cringe fest.” As Shapiro chases the national spotlight, he works just as hard to keep controversy in the dark back home. His PR machine doesn’t just spend—it silences. After using $92,000 in tax dollars for luxury upgrades at the governor’s residence, including nearly $900 for an immersion blender and $2,500 for an electric dog door, his team pressured vendors to keep the purchases quiet.

He has built an administration defined by secrecy. Shapiro broke with his predecessors by refusing to release his daily calendar, blocking the release of basic details about his taxpayer-funded social media influencer summit, and repeatedly dodging questions about his unprecedented use of state aircraft—described as “very concerning” by a State Police official.

Meanwhile, governing takes a back seat. Shapiro pledged to work across the aisle and “get sh*t done,” but he now holds the least productive legislative record of any Pennsylvania governor in at least 50 years. Polling shows most Pennsylvanians are unconvinced he’s accomplished anything.

Shapiro has done little for Pennsylvania, but a lot for his personal brand. He has become a fixture on national talk shows—from “Real Time with Bill Maher” to “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” On “Real Time,” he declared, “I live in the real world, where we have to balance budgets.” Yet his own bloated proposal includes $5 billion in deficit spending—and he’s mired in a protracted impasse after failing to enact a budget by Pennsylvania’s legal deadline.

Even amid his budget debacle, Shapiro jetted to New York to banter with Colbert—ironically, just days after CBS canceled the show over its own budget deficit. The symbolism practically wrote itself.

It’s clear where his focus lies: not on Pennsylvania, but on burnishing his national image. More Hollywood than Harrisburg—Shapiro merely plays governor on TV. Pennsylvania taxpayers didn’t sign up to bankroll his White House audition. They deserve a governor who shows up to do the job, not one who treats their state like a green room for 2028.