Josh Shapiro on Trump, Iran War Chaos, Israel's Failure, the Economy, and 2028 Race

Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania came on All-In to discuss his state’s record on economic growth, permitting reform, and fighting fraud—and to offer a sharp critique of the Democratic Party’s direction, Donald Trump’s foreign policy, and the current state of American governance. Shapiro, a moderate Democrat with a 60% approval rating, presented himself as a counterexample to the dysfunction many associate with blue states, while also laying out a vision for how his party could win back voters by focusing on competence, freedom, and economic opportunity.

The "Get Sh*t Done" Model: Permitting, Fraud, and Growth

Shapiro’s core argument is that government can be a force for good if it moves at the speed of business. He pointed to Pennsylvania’s permitting reform as a concrete example. When he took office, the state was bottom five in the country for permit processing speed. Now, he says, it’s a national model. The key mechanism was a "money-back guarantee": if the state doesn’t issue a permit on time, it refunds the fee. Of 40 million permits issued under his tenure, only five were late enough to trigger a refund. This accountability, he argues, forces the bureaucracy to prioritize getting to "yes" while still protecting public health and safety.