Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) took little time to respond to President Donald Trump‘s claim that the governor told him he was the “greatest president of my lifetime.”
Moore reposted Trump’s claim on X, writing, “lol.”
He added, “Keep telling yourself that, Mr. President.”
Trump said Moore made the comment when he met him during the Army-Navy game in December 2024 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
“He said, ‘Sir, you’re the greatest president in my lifetime,’” Trump said of Moore. The president said he responded by saying he wished Moore would say that publicly, but understood that the governor couldn’t do so outside of the private encounter.
Trump added that Moore said he was doing a “fantastic job” and that he wanted to shake his hand.
Trump claims that Wes Moore privately told him “sir, you’re the greatest president of my lifetime” pic.twitter.com/sSRu6POHtt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 25, 2025
Part of the encounter was captured in the documentary Art of the Surge. In a clip, Moore is seen politely greeting Trump and welcoming him to Maryland. The pair then discusses the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. However, the clip does not show Moore making the comment that Trump claimed he did.
Is this you @iamwesmoore?
The Maryland governor excitedly greeting @realDonaldTrump in the basement of the Army-Navy game last December.
Part of an encounter captured during @ArtoftheSurge Season Two. https://t.co/KsFKXfSppM pic.twitter.com/RB1VsYiAVy
— Justin Wells (@justinbwells) August 24, 2025
“Mr. President, welcome back to Maryland, sir, welcome back to Maryland!” Moore says in the clip. “Great to see you, great to see you, great to have you back here.”
David Turner, Moore’s communications director, denied that the governor said what Trump alleged.
“There’s video of this, so we have no idea what he is talking about,” Turner told the Washington Examiner.
Trump and Moore have been feuding since the governor condemned the president’s move to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C., calling it “offensive.”
Moore then invited Trump on a “public safety” walk in Baltimore after Trump slammed the city as “so far gone.” Trump mocked Moore on social media Sunday for the suggestion, asking him to “clean up this Crime disaster before I go there for a “walk.”
Trump then threatened to pull funding for the Key Bridge and said he would send the National Guard to Baltimore as well.
Moore retaliated by criticizing Trump for his Vietnam War draft deferment for bone spurs, the Jeffrey Epstein files, and his “obsession” with him.
“Donald Trump can stay obsessed with me — that’s fine — but I’ll stay obsessed with working in partnership to continue our historic success of driving down crime in Baltimore,” Moore posted on social media.
TRUMP AND WES MOORE TRADE BARBS ABOUT BALTIMORE CRIME AND NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT
Trump could be trying to diminish Moore, who has become a prominent figure in the Democratic Party in the last few years. Moore, a Rhodes scholar, became Maryland’s governor in 2023 after serving in the Army. The governor has received some 2028 presidential speculation, though he has denied that he will run.
Moore is running for reelection as Maryland’s governor in 2026, and while his Republican challenger is unclear, it could be former Gov. Larry Hogan.