Politics

/

ArcaMax

Moore in DC reiterates opposition to Trump as bipartisan event shifts to fighting back

Sam Janesch, The Baltimore Sun on

Published in Political News

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore — at an event billed as a discussion about bipartisanship in Washington, D.C., on Thursday — continued to stress his opposition to President Donald Trump’s efforts to both send federal troops to Baltimore and redraw congressional districts ahead of next year’s midterms.

The Democratic governor, who has emphasized “partnership” across party lines repeatedly since entering office, has often said he would try to work with Trump and with Republicans generally.

But sitting alongside a Republican governor at the National Press Club, the conversation turned to fighting back more than working together.

“Do they have the mettle to be able to hold?” Moore said, referring to governors and other leaders who are facing what he considered to be illegal decisions from Trump. “Or are we going to watch people just sit silently? Are we going to watch people just sit quietly?”

The event — at the press club’s headquarters a stone’s throw away from the White House — came amid a weeks-long war of words between Moore and Trump. The president has said he will send federal troops to patrol crime in Baltimore while Moore has fiercely rejected the idea.

The attacks turned personal, with Trump questioning Moore’s military record and Moore calling Trump, “President Bone Spurs,” in reference to the reason he avoided the Vietnam War draft. Moore has also emphasized Baltimore’s declining crime rates while Trump called the city a “hellhole” filled with “hardcore criminals.”

“This is why I personally have invited the president to come,” Moore said Thursday. “Instead of spewing untruths from the Oval Office, join me in Baltimore, join me in the communities. Because I would love for him to come and be educated, and actually make educated comments instead of things that are just completely politically driven dribble that is actually just infusing a greater level of disconnect, and frankly, a greater level of disappointment in people in our political process.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, joined Moore at the event and the pair repeatedly complimented each other. They previously worked together through the National Governors Association, including with a campaign called “Disagree Better” during the presidential race last year.

 

“I’m really proud of what’s happening in Maryland and the ‘Maryland miracle’ that we’re seeing,” Cox said at one point, congratulating Moore on the historic drops in homicides and violent crime in Baltimore.

Moore, as he’s often done in recent weeks, said that state-level investments in local law enforcement have contributed to the drops. Credit has also been attributed to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s violence reduction efforts and State’s Attorney Ivan Bates’ approach to prosecutions.

In the ongoing national debate about gerrymandering, Moore also reiterated on Thursday that “all options are on the table” as he watches Republican states redraw their district lines to gain an advantage in next year’s midterms.

Maryland is one of the few states where Democrats have full control and could potentially redraw a map that would disadvantage Republicans — a move that national Democrats are seeking to counter Texas Republicans’ move to win as many as five additional seats there. California Democrats have already taken steps to counter that effort, and some Maryland Democrats are eager to join in the fight, which could threaten the reelection chances of U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, an Eastern Shore Republican.

“I would call on Congress to pass a law banning gerrymandering and banning mid-cycle changes. I also live in reality. I know Congress has no intention of doing this because Congress hardly has any intention of doing anything at this point,” Moore said. “I cannot, and none of us can, just sit on our hands.”

_______


©2025 The Baltimore Sun. Visit at baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus

 

Related Channels

The ACLU

ACLU

By The ACLU
Amy Goodman

Amy Goodman

By Amy Goodman
Armstrong Williams

Armstrong Williams

By Armstrong Williams
Austin Bay

Austin Bay

By Austin Bay
Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro

By Ben Shapiro
Betsy McCaughey

Betsy McCaughey

By Betsy McCaughey
Bill Press

Bill Press

By Bill Press
Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
Cal Thomas

Cal Thomas

By Cal Thomas
Christine Flowers

Christine Flowers

By Christine Flowers
Clarence Page

Clarence Page

By Clarence Page
Danny Tyree

Danny Tyree

By Danny Tyree
David Harsanyi

David Harsanyi

By David Harsanyi
Debra Saunders

Debra Saunders

By Debra Saunders
Dennis Prager

Dennis Prager

By Dennis Prager
Dick Polman

Dick Polman

By Dick Polman
Erick Erickson

Erick Erickson

By Erick Erickson
Froma Harrop

Froma Harrop

By Froma Harrop
Jacob Sullum

Jacob Sullum

By Jacob Sullum
Jamie Stiehm

Jamie Stiehm

By Jamie Stiehm
Jeff Robbins

Jeff Robbins

By Jeff Robbins
Jessica Johnson

Jessica Johnson

By Jessica Johnson
Jim Hightower

Jim Hightower

By Jim Hightower
Joe Conason

Joe Conason

By Joe Conason
Joe Guzzardi

Joe Guzzardi

By Joe Guzzardi
John Stossel

John Stossel

By John Stossel
Josh Hammer

Josh Hammer

By Josh Hammer
Judge Andrew P. Napolitano

Judge Andrew Napolitano

By Judge Andrew P. Napolitano
Laura Hollis

Laura Hollis

By Laura Hollis
Marc Munroe Dion

Marc Munroe Dion

By Marc Munroe Dion
Michael Barone

Michael Barone

By Michael Barone
Mona Charen

Mona Charen

By Mona Charen
Rachel Marsden

Rachel Marsden

By Rachel Marsden
Rich Lowry

Rich Lowry

By Rich Lowry
Robert B. Reich

Robert B. Reich

By Robert B. Reich
Ruben Navarrett Jr.

Ruben Navarrett Jr

By Ruben Navarrett Jr.
Ruth Marcus

Ruth Marcus

By Ruth Marcus
S.E. Cupp

S.E. Cupp

By S.E. Cupp
Salena Zito

Salena Zito

By Salena Zito
Star Parker

Star Parker

By Star Parker
Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore

By Stephen Moore
Susan Estrich

Susan Estrich

By Susan Estrich
Ted Rall

Ted Rall

By Ted Rall
Terence P. Jeffrey

Terence P. Jeffrey

By Terence P. Jeffrey
Tim Graham

Tim Graham

By Tim Graham
Tom Purcell

Tom Purcell

By Tom Purcell
Veronique de Rugy

Veronique de Rugy

By Veronique de Rugy
Victor Joecks

Victor Joecks

By Victor Joecks
Wayne Allyn Root

Wayne Allyn Root

By Wayne Allyn Root

Comics

Christopher Weyant John Branch Phil Hands Bart van Leeuwen Jon Russo Jimmy Margulies