Maryland Governor Wes Moore has found himself at the center of a high-stakes national debate, publicly clashing with President Donald Trump over the use of the National Guard to combat crime in Baltimore and other major cities. The dispute, which has unfolded across televised interviews, social media, and the halls of government, has become a flashpoint in the ongoing conversation about urban violence, federal intervention, and the boundaries of executive power.
It all began earlier in August 2025, when President Trump, touting his law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C., suggested expanding the deployment of the National Guard to other cities, including Baltimore. Trump described Baltimore as “so far gone” and, in a pointed Oval Office remark on August 26, called the city a “hellhole.” The president’s comments were not just rhetorical flourishes; he renewed his threat to send the National Guard into Baltimore if local leaders did not address crime more aggressively.
Governor Moore, who has made public safety a cornerstone of his administration, did not take the comments lightly. Rather than escalate the war of words, Moore formally invited Trump to join him and local officials on a public safety walk through Baltimore. The invitation, however, was rebuffed. Trump, in his own style, responded, “Wes Moore was telling me he wants — ‘I want to walk with the president.’ Well, I said, ‘I want to walk with you, too, someday. But first you’ve got to clean up your crime.’”
Despite the heated exchanges, Moore has tried to keep the focus on his constituents. In an interview aired August 31 on ABC News’ “This Week,” Moore stated, “I have no interest in fighting with the president, but I have an interest in fighting for my communities and fighting for our people.” He has repeatedly emphasized that his priority is Baltimore’s residents, not political point-scoring. “Asking me to deploy my National Guard, people who are not trained for municipal policing, is just not a serious approach,” Moore told ABC News, pushing back against Trump’s proposal.
Crime in Baltimore remains a pressing concern. According to recent FBI data, the city had the fifth highest rate of violent crime and the fourth highest murder rate per capita among U.S. cities with populations over 100,000 in 2024. Moore acknowledges there is “still work to do there,” but he also points to signs of progress. “It would just be great if we could have a president of the United States to actually understand that this is one of the great American turnaround stories that’s happening right now,” Moore said, highlighting efforts to reduce violence and invest in communities.
Moore’s skepticism about the National Guard is rooted in both principle and practicality. He described the recent deployment of the Guard in Washington, D.C., as “performative,” arguing that such measures are not sustainable or effective for long-term public safety. The cost, he notes, is staggering — “well over a million dollars a day,” he said, referencing the D.C. experience. “If the president of the United States were to have a serious conversation with me and say, what can we do… I would tell him things like, we need to make sure we’re increasing funding for local law enforcement.”
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, whose city saw an 87% reduction in carjackings and a 50% drop in robberies following the federal law enforcement surge, has offered a nuanced perspective. While she “greatly appreciate[s] the surge of officers,” Bowser has said that the use of National Guard troops “hasn’t been efficient.” She explained, “What we know is not working is a break in trust between police and community, especially with new federal partners in community. We know having masked ICE agents in the community has not worked, and National Guards from other states has not been an efficient use of those resources.”
Moore’s position is clear: he wants federal support, but not in the form of the National Guard. Instead, he advocates for increased funding for local police and meaningful investments in community organizations. “Federal support on things that actually make sense and not things that are performative,” Moore told Nexstar Media. “The National Guard is completely performative because the National Guard is not even trained for it.”
Moore’s stance has drawn national attention, with media outlets like MSNBC highlighting his defiance of Trump’s approach. On “Weekends with Alex Witt,” Moore reiterated his commitment to “fight for his communities” and resist what he sees as heavy-handed federal intervention. The governor’s rising profile has even sparked comparisons to other high-profile Democratic leaders, such as California’s Gavin Newsom.
The debate has also taken a personal turn. Trump, in a series of social media posts, resurfaced controversy over Moore’s military record, referencing a 2006 White House application in which Moore was said to have claimed a Bronze Star he had not yet received. Moore, who was recommended for the medal after his service in Afghanistan but did not receive it until late 2024 due to lost paperwork, has addressed the issue directly. “When the president wants to attack my military record as someone who’s actually a decorated combat veteran… I just think that if the president wants to have a real debate about public service and about the sacrifice for this country, he should really sit that debate out. I’m not the one he wants to have it with,” Moore said on ABC News. In a pointed retort, Moore referred to Trump as “President Bone Spurs,” referencing Trump’s medical deferment from the Vietnam War draft.
Pressed about the Bronze Star controversy, Moore explained, “I think it’s pretty common knowledge or common belief that when your commanding officers, and your superior officers tell you, ‘Listen, we put you in, and we’ve gone through everything, so as you’re going through your application, include it.’ I included it, and I didn’t think about it.” He added, “Now I’m thankful that the military, after they found out that the paperwork was lost and didn’t process [it], that they came back and awarded me the Bronze Star. So I do have a Bronze Star that I earned in Afghanistan and a Combat Action Badge that I earned in Afghanistan. So I’m proud of that, but that’s not why I served.”
As speculation mounts about Moore’s potential ambitions for higher office, he is adamant that his focus remains on Maryland. “You’ve got to focus on protecting your people right now and the issues that the people in our states are facing, and that’s where I know my focus is,” he said. Moore also offered advice for his party, stating, “The Democrats don’t have a messaging problem, there’s a results problem. The Democrats have to deliver results and stop being the party of no and slow and start being the party of yes and now because the frustration that people have, it is real.”
The standoff between Moore and Trump encapsulates a broader debate over how best to address violent crime in America’s cities. While the president favors a dramatic show of force, Moore insists that real progress comes from investing in local solutions and rebuilding trust between police and the communities they serve. As the political and policy battle continues, the people of Baltimore — and cities like it — wait to see which vision will shape their future.
