Maryland Gov. Wes Moore came out swinging over the weekend, rejecting a plot by President Donald Trump to deploy federal troops to Baltimore, the largest city in Moore’s home state.
Trump has deployed federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Washington, despite a recent drop in crime. He has also threatened to repeat the process with other major cities with large Black populations. In response, Moore sent a letter to Trump on Thursday, inviting him to go on a safety walk in Baltimore to see how crime-prevention efforts have improved the situation there.
As part of our broad approach to public safety, I regularly join community advocates and elected officials to walk through the neighborhoods most affected by violent crime,” Moore wrote. “I would like to formally invite you to attend our next public safety walk in September, at a date of your choosing.”
Trump responded on Sunday, claiming that Moore’s offer was written “in a rather nasty and provocative tone.” He also threatened to deploy federal forces to Baltimore and to withhold federal funds to repair the Key Bridge, a major thoroughfare for commerce along the East Coast. (The process to fix the bridge began under former President Joe Biden.)
“President Bone Spurs will do anything to get out of walking—even if that means spouting off more lies about the progress we’re making on public safety in Maryland,” Moore replied, referring to the widely believed allegation that Trump used a medical condition—”bone spurs”—to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War.
“Hey Donald, we can get you a golf cart if that makes things easier. Just let my team know,” Moore added.
In an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Moore said the deployment of the National Guard to deal with local crime was “unconstitutional.” He also noted, “While the president is spending his time from the Oval Office making jabs and attacks at us, there are people actually on the ground doing the work who know what supports would actually work to continue to bring down crime, but it’s falling on deaf ears of the president of the United States.”
Moore is an Army reservist and veteran who served in Afghanistan. The governor was a captain and a paratrooper who served in the 82nd Airborne.
A majority of the residents of Baltimore are Black, as is Mayor Brandon Scott. Washington’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, is a Black woman and so is the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, where Trump also deployed the National Guard earlier this summer. Trump has a long history of racism, and his push to involve federal law enforcement in prosecuting local crime with an emphasis on visuals purportedly showing him exercising federal power is in line with his past bigoted actions and rhetoric.
Trump’s attempt to performatively dominate these cities and the leadership of these cities is being counteracted by leaders like Moore and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who have mocked Trump instead of giving in to him.
At a time of low faith in Democrats at the federal level, the governors are picking up much of the slack.