The News
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore fielded plenty of high-profile questions from Rev. Al Sharpton on Thursday, on issues from the war in Iran (vocally opposed), his state’s economy (growing despite President Donald Trump’s federal layoffs), and whether he’d run for president (2026 comes first).
So when Semafor caught up with Moore offstage, the questions ranged more widely — starting with Max Tani’s exclusive on the governor’s office’s battles with the Baltimore Sun over an investigation into Moore’s military record that he blames on the newspaper’s new conservative ownership.
The View From Wes Moore
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
David Weigel: Would you tell Marylanders to stop reading the Baltimore Sun?
Wes Moore: It’s sad for me, because the Sun used to be the paper of record, and it has become the paper of the right wing. It’s part of a bigger problem that I think we’re having with local press. Listen: I think the press plays an incredibly important role. I have no problem taking tough questions. I have no problem if people want to poke and prod on our policies or issues.
But that’s not what Sinclair is, or Nexstar, or this new purchase group for the LA Times. David Smith and these other MAGA billionaires are using local press almost like their personal Twitter accounts. I think it’s really problematic, and I think it’s dangerous for our democracy, because it’s not just about Maryland.
This is what they are now doing all over the country, and they’re doing it because they’re trying to curry favor with the president, for Donald Trump, who keeps on taking care of them.
It seems like what the Sun is looking for is some report from your military career that will say that your record was overstated for political reasons.
It’s silly on its face, because they have every publicly available piece of information about me, my military record, my history. But that’s not what this is about, right? This is about their MAGA billionaire boss who has instructed them to come after me.
You know who doesn’t question my integrity? The United States Army. You know who doesn’t question my integrity? The people who I served with in Afghanistan and the United States Army, who awarded me the combat action badge and the Bronze Star for my actions. You know who doesn’t question my integrity? Johns Hopkins University, where I was awarded as the first Black Rhodes Scholar in the history of the school. You know who doesn’t question my integrity? Oxford University.
None of this has to do with that, because none of these places are questioning my integrity. It’s a mega-billionaire who is, and that’s why I know this is not legitimate. This is coming from a mega-billionaire who has a pretty sketchy history himself. And so he should really be careful about throwing stones.
Are you going to campaign for the redistricting amendment in Virginia?
I don’t plan to go down there in person, but I am open to it — and willing to let people know that this fight is not just Virginia’s fight, it’s all of our fight.
The gist of the Democratic campaign there is: We wish we didn’t have to do this. This was forced upon us. Do you see the risk of defeat there? Because it seems like there’s the same attitude in Annapolis; some Democrats feel that they’re better than this and don’t want to redraw maps.
What’s funny is that I feel very much the same way. I’m for national redistricting reform. The irony is that when national redistricting reform was actually put in front of Congress, the people who are screaming against doing anything now were the ones who voted against it. People like Andy Harris, who actually represents one of the more gerrymandered seats in the entire state.So I get it, but when you are watching Donald Trump and JD Vance trying to steal an election in front of your face — forgive me if I’m not interested in watching you sift through your book on morality or constitutional law when we’re watching this happen right in front of our eyes.
If the Supreme Court rules for Louisiana and ditches Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and ends the majority-minority district requirement, what’s your next move in Annapolis? Would you go back and try to draw eight Democratic districts that way?
We always have the right to go back and do it. One of the great things about our democracy is that it can always be adjusted.
What’s your response to progressives who want a moratorium on new data centers?
There’s a way to make sure that when we’re doing this, that we’re doing this smartly. I think that’s what we’ve done in Maryland, where I’ve said we’re not going to allow what happened in northern Virginia to take place in the state of Maryland.
We are going to make sure that for any data center going up, it’s going to need to get my approval to happen. They need to make sure that they are working with locals and working with local elected officials. They need to make sure that they are hiring local workers. They need to make sure that they are paying for their own energy and they’re not causing our bills to go up because of the work that they are doing. I think there’s a way you can both be inviting critical infrastructure inside of a state and also say you’re going to do it smartly.
Would you like to see [Maryland Sen.] Chris Van Hollen run for Senate Democratic leader and challenge Chuck Schumer?
I love Chris Van Hollen, and I don’t get involved in the Senate business. He’s not just my senior senator; he’s my friend. As long as Chris continues doing the business of the people of Maryland, I’m good. I don’t have a vote in what happens in the Senate.