Maryland Gov. Wes Moore assumed the chairmanship of the National Governors Association on Saturday and immediately warned that President Donald Trump is likely to wield federal power to interfere in the November midterm elections, saying he is “very concerned” about what the administration is already doing “in broad daylight.”
In an interview with The Associated Press, the potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender ticked through Trump’s efforts to restrict voting by mail, obtain voter information from states and possibly deploy federal troops or agents to polling places. Moore said there is a role for the NGA, a bipartisan group, in ensuring states can oversee elections as designed by the U.S. Constitution.
“I don’t think that the president is trying to hide the ball on this,” Moore said. “It’s not even am I concerned about what the president could do? I’m concerned about what he’s already doing in broad daylight.”
The 47-year-old governor takes over a post once held by Bill Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas, at a time when the NGA is one of the few remaining forums bringing top Republicans and Democrats together. Moore has traveled to early presidential testing grounds such as South Carolina and Nevada, fueling speculation about a White House run, though he rules that out for now, saying he will not “get distracted” before November.
The centerpiece of his NGA agenda, a national “Service United” campaign to draw young people into the workforce through service-oriented work, opens with $10 million in philanthropic support. It builds on similar work Moore has done in Maryland, including a $5 million expansion of an apprenticeship program announced this week, and has drawn support from Republicans including outgoing NGA chair and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Moore’s relationship with Trump has been tense. Trump sought to bar Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis from a White House meeting organized by the NGA earlier this year before relenting after Stitt intervened. Asked about Trump, Moore said the president “seems to consistently take an ideological view when it comes to securing the future of this country.” The White House did not comment on that characterization, but spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Democrats should pass the stalled SAVE America Act if they “really cared about securing our elections.”
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein of North Carolina, who leads a competitive state with a marquee Senate race, echoed Moore’s concerns about federal interference. “I don’t think you can be a clear-thinking person and not be concerned because all the signals are very worrisome,” Stein said. Stitt, meanwhile, said states should control their own elections and rejected federal intervention.
Moore also faces divisions within his own party, as a string of democratic socialists has won primaries from New York City to Denver, prompting debate over whether the party is drifting too far left. He said party bosses should not determine who the nominees are, and said he does not believe in abolishing the police, abolishing prisons or open borders.
Moore said he once associated states’ rights arguments with segregationists like Bull Connor, the Birmingham official who turned fire hoses on civil rights protesters, but the Trump era has reshaped his views and reinforced “the importance of having actually strong governors.”
Sources: Associated Press via Sun Sentinel, Associated Press via MSN
Author: USA Desk
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