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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore appears to have dismissed any possibility of working with President Donald Trump after a meeting at the White House with the National Governors Association.
In a meeting with reporters Monday, Moore said an interaction between Trump and the roughly four dozen governors in attendance ended any thoughts he may have harbored about working with the president. The first-term Democrat said Maryland and other states must rise to the threat of massive layoffs and slash-and-burn federal budgeting coming from the administration.
鈥淚 come back from Washington with no illusion about what kind of partnership that this administration is trying to forge with our nation鈥檚 governors,鈥� Moore told reporters, 鈥渁nd 鈥� with a clear understanding that that if this first month is any indication of where things are going, we as lawmakers had better take this moment seriously and make sure that we鈥檙e moving forward.鈥�
Moore said he believes that Trump鈥檚 efforts over the last month are just the beginning, noting that we are 鈥�18 days away from a government shutdown 鈥� a full federal government shutdown that this administration seems to not only be fine with, but actually seems to relish in its prospects.鈥�
鈥淭his is going to have a massive impact on our state, massive impacts on our budgets, massive impacts on our well-being,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have come back more determined than ever to say that it鈥檚 time for all of us to take this moment seriously. It鈥檚 time for all of us as lawmakers to be able to understand the crisis that is at hand.鈥�
Moore said he intends to challenge Trump using his own executive orders and authority, as well as continuing to work with Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, who has joined a number of lawsuits with other states aimed at blocking Trump initiatives.
Monday鈥檚 comments represent a change in direction for Moore, who signaled a willingness in November to 鈥渇ind common ground鈥� with Trump where he could, but to push back when needed.
Earlier this month, Moore used his State of the State address to criticize Trump鈥檚 budget and workforce cuts as 鈥渃haos.鈥�
By Monday, Moore was using words like 鈥渃risis鈥� and 鈥渄isheartening鈥� and 鈥渁rbitrary鈥� to describe the encounter with Trump during the governors association meeting.
Trump last week named Moore to a bipartisan group of 10 governors tasked with strengthening state-federal relationships related to security, disaster response and military coordination.
鈥淚t was really good to be able to have a chance to express with the Cabinet secretaries 鈥� the things we want to be able to prioritize and focus on in our individual states,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淲here the meeting went off the rails was when the president of the United States walked in. That鈥檚 when you just realized that this was not going to be a substantive conversation. This was going to be an hourlong diatribe of conspiracy theories and attacks on my colleagues. And that鈥檚 when you realize that it was when the president of the United States walked into the room that things went off the rails.鈥�
During that meeting, Trump engaged in a tense public exchange with Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D). Trump threatened to strip her state of federal funding if Mills refused to comply with his executive order banning transgender women from competing in women鈥檚 sports.
鈥淪ee you in court,鈥� Mills fired back.
Moore said Trump missed an opportunity to build a working relationship with governors from around the country.
鈥淭his was the first time that the new president had a chance to be around 鈥� us and hopefully build that type of relationship,鈥� said Moore.鈥� I think for all of us, we were not just deeply underwhelmed, but I think we were troubled.鈥�
Moore described Trump鈥檚 remarks to the governors as a 鈥渄iatribe鈥� chockablock with 鈥渃onspiracy theories.鈥�
鈥淚 heard grievances 鈥� personal grievances. I heard a person stand there and say that I won the election. I鈥檓 now a three-time elected president of the United States,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not helping anybody. It鈥檚 definitely not helping any Maryland families right now.鈥�
Moore said he was more concerned with what Trump did not address.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 hear anything about what is being done to be able to address the rising cost of goods,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 hear anything about what we鈥檙e going to do to give middle class families 鈥� tax relief. And I didn鈥檛 hear anything about we鈥檙e going to increase housing inventory. I didn鈥檛 hear anything about what we鈥檙e going to do to address the cost of prescription drugs.鈥�
Republicans in the State House said Moore has much to lose by picking a fight with Trump in public.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) said Moore鈥檚 comments add fuel to a fire started by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott鈥檚 decision to maintain the city鈥檚 policies on immigrants and the attorney general鈥檚 involvement in numerous lawsuits against the Trump administration.
Moore ramping up his public criticism is akin to biting the hand that feeds you, Hershey said. Maryland is not only home to 160,000 federal employees, but Moore also is seeking federal funding to replace the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the state is looking to nail down a new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt.
Meanwhile at home, Moore is contenting with a supermajority Democratic legislature that is balking at some of his initiatives this session. The state faces at least a $3 billion shortfall in the fiscal 2026 budget, that Moore has proposed addressing with a spending plan that includes tax reform as well delay in the implementation of portions of the Blueprint for Maryland鈥檚 Future education reforms.
Lawmakers in the House have called the delays a nonstarter. Leaders in the Senate are eyeing changes to Moore鈥檚 tax proposal. Both sides want to restore some cuts the governor made in his proposed budget.
