President Donald Trump praises Stacy Garrity for Pa. governor, says Josh Shapiro 'does not have what it takes'

Michelle Baruchman, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sep 19, 2026

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In a video shared to his social media platform on Friday, President Donald Trump reinforced his endorsement for Republican Stacy Garrity in her bid for Pennsylvania governor, while panning Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro as an incumbent “who does not have what it takes.”

“Stacy has been really special (and) has my complete and total endorsement,” Trump said in the video, posted Friday afternoon to Truth Social, praising her tenure as the state’s treasurer and applauding her military service and career in business. “She’s somebody that is going to do a fantastic job.”

The video was posted in a string of more than a dozen similar endorsements on Friday afternoon for Republican congressional candidates in Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Texas.

Garrity, who did not attend the president’s midterm convention in Dallas last week, appeared to be the only gubernatorial candidate, as well as the only candidate from Pennsylvania, to receive a video acknowledgment from Trump.

Trump followed the endorsement videos on Truth Social with a post about his approval ratings, and another post featuring a video touting his own accomplishments in office. The endorsement blitz came less than seven weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, in which Democrats are vying to retake control of Congress.

In Pennsylvania, Shapiro — who has maintained a double-digit lead over Garrity in multiple public polls and has a commanding fundraising advantage — is seeking to use his advantage to secure Democratic wins in four nationally watched congressional seats, and to flip the state Senate to Democratic control for the first time in more than 30 years.

Trump’s boost for Garrity comes as she has struggled to compete with Shapiro. She has not attracted outside ad-spending support from top GOP groups, such as the Republican Governors Association or the Commonwealth Leaders Fund, backed by Pennsylvania billionaire Jeffrey Yass. This week, Shapiro spent $2.4 million on advertising buys, while Garrity spent just $672, according to the media tracking firm AdImpact.

Garrity and Shapiro have agreed to a live, televised debate on Oct. 7 in Harrisburg.

In the video Friday, Trump swiped at Shapiro, who is viewed as a likely contender for the 2028 presidency and who has been critical of the president’s administration.

“Your current governor does not have what it takes,” Trump said. “His reputation is far better than he is — that I can tell you and everyone knows it.”

Shapiro’s campaign responded on X to Trump’s video by calling Garrity “100% MAGA.”

It remains to be seen whether Garrity will receive additional national support or financial backing in the weeks before the election.

Trump first endorsed Garrity, who ran unopposed in the Republican gubernatorial primary, in January. In March, he said “she should win” during a fundraising dinner at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida.

In June, he seemed to forget her altogether during a speech in Macungie, Pa., where he celebrated Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser and even name-checked Shapiro but did not mention Garrity.

Last month, in a video posted to his Truth Social account, Trump called Garrity a “spectacular person” who he believes will win the race.

On Friday, Trump said Garrity “will work tirelessly to grow Pennsylvania’s economy, cut your taxes, slash regulation and bring jobs, opportunity, and wealth to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

A spokesperson for Garrity did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Trump’s video, but she reposted his endorsement video on her X account.

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