Maryland Gov. Wes Moore blasted President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to help with policing in Washington, D.C., calling the move “deeply dangerous” and “lacking seriousness.”
In a statement released Monday, Moore accused the president of using service members “as pawns” to distract from policies he said are driving up unemployment and cutting healthcare and food assistance.
“These actions by the president lack both data and a battle plan,” Moore said. “If the president wants to have a serious conversation about how to reduce violent crime, he should look at what we’ve been able to do in Maryland.”
President Trump’s decision to mobilize the National Guard to conduct municipal policing in D.C. lacks seriousness and is deeply dangerous.
We await outreach from the White House if they want to have a serious conversation about public safety. But we won’t hold our breath. pic.twitter.com/CqE67E0GpZ
— Governor Wes Moore (@GovWesMoore) August 11, 2025
Moore pointed to statewide data showing a more than 20% drop in homicides since his inauguration and noted Baltimore is “the safest it has been in five decades,” crediting partnerships with Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, law enforcement, and residents.
Trump’s announcement included a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department, prompting pushback from D.C. leaders as well. Mayor Muriel Bowser reiterated calls for D.C. statehood, noting the district’s lack of control over its own National Guard.
Trump, meanwhile, said Baltimore and other U.S. cities were “so far gone” on violent crime, remarks Scott dismissed as a distraction from other national issues.
Later in the day, Baltimore Mayor Scott, Gov. Moore, and other Maryland leaders issued a joint statement condemning Trump’s remarks and plans.
“This morning, the President and members of his administration announced plans to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and take over the city’s police department. In his remarks, the President mentioned Baltimore by name and made it clear that he intends to deploy the National Guard to other cities across the country.
“As leaders in Baltimore and the state of Maryland, we stand in strong opposition to the President’s latest power grab, which is based on pure lies about our communities. Baltimore, like D.C., is seeing real public safety progress — with homicides down 40% since 2021 — even as the Trump administration has slashed funding for the programs that have brought crime to record lows.
“If the President of the United States was actually interested in reducing violence, he would look to local leaders as an example, rather than federalizing troops to take over our cities. We know from experience how to improve public safety: empower our community partners and violence interrupters, invest in our young people, and prosecute repeat violent offenders in collaboration with law enforcement.
“Together, we remain focused on what matters: defending our democracy, preventing federal overreach, and investing in the public safety strategies that are making our residents safer.”
Moore, Scott, Lt. Gov. Aruna K. Miller, and Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown signed the statement.
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Moore’s sharp rebuke comes amid his growing profile within the Democratic Party. While praised by figures like George Clooney and Donna Brazile as a potential 2028 presidential contender, Moore has repeatedly dismissed speculation, saying anyone focused on the next campaign is “not taking this moment seriously.”
“We await outreach from the White House if they want to have a serious conversation about public safety,” Moore concluded in his statement. “But we won’t hold our breath.”