Maryland Governor Wes Moore Slams Trump’s National Guard Plans As “Deeply Dangerous”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says President Donald Trump’s move to take control of the D.C. police department and deploy 800 National Guard troops to the city is dangerous and politically […] The post Maryland Governor Wes Moore Slams Trump’s National Guard Plans As “Deeply Dangerous” appeared first on Essence.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore Slams Trump’s National Guard Plans As “Deeply Dangerous”

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 13: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks at an event on the Biden Administration’s workforce initiative plan at Carver Vocational School on November 13, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. The workforce initiative plan will create union jobs and provide training for up and coming workers and comes after the recent announcement that the Administration will invest over $16 billion to modernize Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor creating over 100,000 jobs 1,000 of which will be in Baltimore. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

By Essence News Editors ·Updated August 14, 2025 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says President Donald Trump’s move to take control of the D.C. police department and deploy 800 National Guard troops to the city is dangerous and politically motivated. Trump’s announcement described the nation’s capital as plagued by “crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor.”

“I’m embarrassed, I’m angered and frankly, I’m heartbroken for the members of the National Guard who are asked to take on this mission,” Moore told CNN.

Trump said Monday he would deploy 800 D.C. National Guard troops to crack down on local crime, also calling out Baltimore and other cities for what he considered rising violence.

Moore said the president’s rhetoric and actions “lack seriousness and are deeply dangerous,” adding that the move risks turning service members into “political pawns.”

“These actions by the president lack both data and a battle plan,” Moore said in a statement. “He is simply using honorable men and women as pawns to distract us from his policies, which continue to drive up unemployment and strip away health care and food assistance from those who need it most.”

Moore highlighted Maryland’s record on public safety as proof that data-driven strategies work:

“We’ve achieved among the most impressive drops in violent crime anywhere in the country over the past two and a half years… homicides are down by more than 20% statewide since our inauguration. Baltimore is the safest it has been in five decades.”

He added that he is open to a serious discussion about public safety, but it must be rooted in facts and collaboration:

“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.” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also pushed back against Trump’s portrayal of the city as “too far gone.”

“Baltimore has 84 homicides, which is one too many for me, but it’s still the lowest number we’ve had at this point of the year on record,” Scott said at a National Night Out event last week.

He acknowledged that challenges remain, but said the progress should not be ignored.

Moore reiterated on CNN that he would not authorize the Maryland National Guard for missions that are not “mission-critical or mission aligned,” accusing Trump of using military personnel as a political tool to distract from rising unemployment and the loss of benefits under his policies.