Story Snapshot of what you need to know and why it matters:
- Maryland Governor Wes Moore on Thursday invited President Donald Trump to Baltimore for a public safety walk
- Just before sending the President a letter with an official invite, Moore made a speech at Pimlico Race Track calling out Trump, who often criticizes Baltimore, telling him to "keep our name out of your mouth."
- The two men have been engaged in a war of words lately, mainly about Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard to Washington D.C.
Full Story:
This comes as the two leaders have engaged in a war of words, over differing opinions on how to handle crime, specifically Trump's decision to deploy National Guard troops to Washington D.C.
While initially announcing a takeover of the Nation's Capital, Trump took a swipe at Baltimore, saying it's "so far gone."
Moore then went on the Fox News Channel, which the President is known to frequently watch, claiming the National Guard isn't trained for policing.
The Governor criticized Trump's move, chalking it up to "political theater."
Moore again spoke out against Trump at the 2025 Maryland Association of Counties Summer Conference (MACo), saying "while the President calls in the National Guard to cities so he can distract the public from an unpopular agenda, we’ve moved in partnership to break the back of violent crime – and show that we can achieve performance without being performative."
Trump fired back at Moore last week in the Oval Office doubting his ability to ever become President.
On August 21 Moore took things up a notch during a speech at Pimlico Race Course.
"Donald Trump. If you are not willing to walk our communities, keep our name out of your mouth. If you are not willing to stand with our people, keep our name out of your mouth.”
Ali Rak, the Director of Maryland's Freedom Caucus, rebuked Moore for his remarks on X calling him "Ghetto Governor Moore."
This drew instant backlash from Maryland Democrats, who accused Rak of being racist.
The Caucus fought back, issuing a statement that "Governor Wes Moore, in his best Will Smith impression this morning, told the President of the United States, three separate times, to "Keep [Baltimore's] name out of your mouth," while simultaneously sending him a letter to invite him to the same city."
After clips of those comments surfaced, Moore announced he'd invited the Commander In Chief for a visit.
In his letter to Trump, Moore defends his opposition to the National Guard being deployed to D.C. citing Baltimore City's recent crime reduction.
"If there’s anything Maryland has proven over the last two years, it’s that we can achieve performance without being performative," Moore writes. "Progress requires the right tool for the right mission. Asking the patriotic citizen soldiers of our National Guard to police our cities doesn’t meet that test."
Although it's true Baltimore City homicides and shootings have decreased significantly, it remains one of the most violent areas in the country.
Last month U.S. News & World Report listed Charm City as the nation's fourth most dangerous place to live.
The publication's rankings were based on FBI data tracking the number of murders and property crime per 100,000 residents.
Baltimore also ranked third highest on Numbeo’s mid-year 2025 Crime Index.
As for the D.C. crime rate since Trump intervened, the White House on Thursday said “for the first time in a long time, D.C. has gone seven days without a homicide."
"In just one week, 550 arrests have been made for crimes such as assault on a police officer, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, involuntary manslaughter, child abuse, driving under the influence, and more," the White House stated in a press release.
They add, "Carjackings are down 83%. Robberies are down 46%. Car thefts [are] down 21%, and overall violent crime is down 22%.”
Since reclaiming the Presidency in January Moore has attacked Trump on a number of issues, including federal funding and jobs cuts.
"You’ve seen the headlines: Mass layoffs, higher prices, universities under attack, mass deportations, cuts to programs like food assistance and health care – just to pay for big tax breaks for billionaires," Moore said at (MACo). "While the federal government crafts policies that make our economy weaker, we’ve attracted more than $4 billion in private investment in Maryland."
While in office Trump's downsizing of the federal government has resulted in approximately 12,700 Maryland jobs lost, the most in the country.
Additionally, Trump's efforts to decrease federal spending has cost Maryland about $2.7 billion in annual funding.
When it comes to the "Big Beautiful Bill," the White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates a typical Maryland family with two children could see a real take-home pay increase between $8,300 and $12,200 over the next four-years, after taxes and inflation.
Trump's signature bill reduces taxes on tips, overtime, and social security for seniors.
According to the White House's calculations, around four percent of Maryland's labor force could benefit from tax-free tips, while about 21 percent are expected to cash-in on the bill's untaxed overtime provision.
It should be noted Moore, this past legislative session, approved $1.6 billion in tax & fee increases, the largest in Maryland history, while also turning an inherited budget surplus from his predecessor into a three-plus billion dollar deficit.
Moore, however, argues former Governor Larry Hogan's surplus was not structural in nature, disputing that federal COVID-19 relief funds and income tax gains played a major role, resulting in an economic flatline.
As for the community walk, Trump has not responded indicating whether he would accept.
The President last visited Baltimore in September of 2019 for the Republican Congressional retreat.
Trump has long besmirched Baltimore, describing the City as "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess," and even slamming its education system.
