The next is the transcript of an interview with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Aug. 24, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning and welcome to ‘Face The Nation.’ It is quiet right here in Washington as we come on the air this morning, however the debate is heating up over President Trump’s calling up of almost 2300 Nationwide Guardsmen, together with federal brokers from ICE, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Company, the FBI, and others, to patrol the streets of the town alongside DC police forces. And we’re seeing one more occasion of Trump’s increasing of the federal authorities’s attain, this time in relation to management of police in native communities. Will we see footage like these in different U.S. cities sooner or later? Properly, one of many locations President Trump has talked about is needing assist preventing crime is close by Baltimore, and becoming a member of us proper now could be Maryland’s Democratic Governor Wes Moore. Thanks for being right here.
GOV. WES MOORE: Thanks a lot for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So that they’re right here in DC- there are guardsmen from six completely different states on the road. The mission is, quote, ‘beautification, responsibility and help.’ The protection secretary has author- licensed them to hold M4 and M17 rifles, however thus far, now we have not been in a position to find anybody armed throughout the Nationwide Guard on the streets of DC. Why, although, are you so against this deployment?
GOV. MOORE: Properly, there’s- there’s loads of causes. You already know one, it isn’t sustainable. You can not proceed one of these tempo of operations, significantly whenever you’re when it is costing over 1,000,000 {dollars} a day as a way to do that. The second, it is not scalable. You are not going to have the ability to do that in each single main American metropolis, significantly when lots of the cities which have the best crime charges are the locations which have really deployed their nationwide guards to Washington, DC. So who’s going to- who’s going to go do the work of their cities? The third, it is unconstitutional. It is a direct violation of the tenth Modification, and for a celebration that talks about state rights, it is superb how they’re having such an enormous authorities strategy in the best way they’re conducting public security. The fourth cause is as a result of it is deeply disrespectful to the members of the Nationwide Guard. As somebody who really deployed abroad and served my nation in fight, to ask these women and men to do a job that they are not skilled for is simply deeply disrespectful. And so after we’re excited about all of those lasting components, after we’re excited about the truth that it serves as a distraction from the truth that the President’s disastrous financial insurance policies are making all the things dearer for on a regular basis People- is making life more durable for on a regular basis People, there’s a multitude of causes that I’m in opposition to this, and I cannot authorize the Maryland Nationwide Guard to be utilized for this.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, the Nationwide Guard does say that these troops will probably be skilled and deputized by Federal Marshals. So that is going to be distinct from the army guidelines of engagement
GOV. MOORE: However it’s counter to each bit of coaching that we obtained. When- once I joined the army, we joined with a transparent intention to struggle and win our nation’s wars. The members of our Nationwide Guard are skilled up to have the ability to handle issues like emergency conditions, conditions the place you need- the place you want a surge of helps for- for traumas and disasters which can be taking place inside particular person jurisdictions. That isn’t this, and it is a direct deflection that the President is authorizing.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We all know the President watches this system, and he possible noticed the visitor itemizing as a result of he is tweeting about you- or truthing, I assume. He says the Governor Wes Moore of Maryland has requested in a ‘nasty and provocative tone that I stroll the streets of Maryland with him,’ and he is speaking about ‘crime ridden Baltimore.’ It is fairly prolonged, however he goes after your file on crime. He says it is a ‘dangerous one.’ He says, in case you need assistance, he’ll ship within the troops, which is being executed in close by DC. I imply, after we noticed a couple of weeks in the past the deployment on the streets of Los Angeles, the governor of California tried to go to the courts, and he was unable to cease it. Is the truth right here is- you’ll be able to’t cease the president from sending troops to Baltimore if he needs to?
GOV. MOORE: The yr earlier than I grew to become the governor, in 2022, Baltimore was averaging virtually a murder a day, and I got here in and I mentioned, I refuse to be a governor who simply presents ideas and prayers to this case. So we mentioned we’re really going to work in partnership with Mayor Scott, work in partnership with native elected officers, work in partnership with local- with native legislation enforcement. We made the biggest investments in native legislation enforcement in our state’s historical past. Over $50 million going to Baltimore Metropolis alone–
MARGARET BRENNAN: That got here from federal cash.
GOV. MOORE: No that got here from each federal and state cash, and likewise Maryland grew to become one of many solely states that truly helps to fund the U.S. Lawyer out of stability sheet, taking a lot of these gun crimes and truly turning them into federal prices. And the outcomes have been- have been extremely encouraging, the place Maryland’s had amongst the quickest drops in violent crime of wherever in america up to now two and a half years. The murder price in Maryland is down over 20% since I’ve been the governor, and the final time the murder price was this low in Baltimore Metropolis, I used to be not born but. And so the explanation that I’ve requested the President to come back and be a part of us is as a result of he appears to get pleasure from dwelling on this blissful ignorance. This- these tropes, in these Eighties scare- scare techniques. And , simply final week I used to be in Baltimore, and I used to be with a bunch referred to as ‘We Our Us’ who’s a violence intervention group. They usually say we’re all we obtained, we’re all we’d like. And that is precisely how individuals on this group really feel. As a result of whereas the President is spending his time from the Oval Workplace making jabs and assaults at us, there are individuals really on the bottom doing the work who know what helps would really work to proceed to deliver down crime, however it’s falling on deaf ears of the President of america.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You are speaking concerning the constructive pattern line. The President’s pointing to the FBI statistics, which exhibits Baltimore is the fifth most cases of violent crime on a per capita foundation. Fourth highest homicide price. To your level, the town of Memphis can also be on that record, and the Governor of Tennessee despatched these Nationwide Guard troops right here to this metropolis, to not the streets of Memphis–
GOV. MOORE: –And we all know now we have work to do. We all know- if one particular person doesn’t really feel protected of their neighborhood, that is one too many. However we additionally know what techniques really work and what techniques is simply theatrics.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However your- the mayor in Baltimore did simply say he needs federal help– he would not need Nationwide Guard troops, per se, although, he says he needs brokers from FBI, DEA and ATF, do you want extra federal assist in policing in case your mayor thinks you do?
GOV. MOORE: Oh, completely. And we’d like the President to cease slicing funding. As a result of in case you take a look at the President’s price range, it really cuts funding in direction of violence intervention teams. It cuts funding in direction of the bureaus of the FBI and the ATF which can be supporting native jurisdictions like Baltimore. That it would not do something about issues like ghost weapons and these prolonged Glock clips that permit these Glocks to basically flip into automated weapons. These are literally actual, tangible issues that the President of america may do and the place you could possibly put capital to truly make our communities safer.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you’re a Democrat who is- President Trump says in order effectively, presumably a presidential candidate. He talked about you the opposite day.
GOV. MOORE: Yeah.
MARGARET BRENNAN: He spent plenty of time speaking about you.
GOV. MOORE: I have been on his thoughts plenty of occasions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You are spending time speaking about crime. Is that this one thing that, as a Democrat, you suppose the Democratic Occasion must be extra vocal and muscular about when operating for workplace? As a result of I hear you doing that. It is a very massive change from 2020 when the concept was defund the police.
GOV. MOORE: Completely. And but the President spending all of his time speaking about me. I am spending my time speaking concerning the individuals I serve. And sure, I imagine that now we have to have the ability to handle the difficulty of crime. I got here up in, and I’ve existed in neighborhoods and communities which have been chronically uncared for. And I keep in mind one of many first issues that occurred in our first months in, I needed to go to Shock Trauma within Baltimore, as a result of Baltimore had one of many largest mass shootings in its historical past. And I visited a younger man, an adolescent, who was simply completed surgical procedure and had one in every of his testicles shot off, and was speaking about, how was he ever going to grow to be a father? And I mentioned, at that time, I refuse to proceed doing this and never placing the correct assets in place, and never having the ability to put an actual concentrate on making our communities safer. And that is why it’s so irritating after we’re listening to from the President of america one thing that’s simply purely performative, with out really specializing in these communities and these neighborhoods who imagine that progress is feasible and who’re prepared to place within the work and we’re simply merely asking for Washington to have the ability to acknowledge it and help it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: He says you are not ‘presidential timber’ in any respect. I think about you disagree with that evaluation?
GOV. MOORE: Yeah, I have been very clear. I am not operating for president–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper now.
GOV. MOORE: But it surely’s fascinating that- however it’s fascinating the President appears to be extra involved about my future than he’s about the way forward for the American individuals, and that is why I am asking him to maintain his focus. Give attention to the issues that truly matter proper now, which is the truth that his financial insurance policies are driving up costs on all the things from electronics, to the garments that we put on, to the meals that we eat. Speak about the truth that he has immigration insurance policies which can be knocking out tens of hundreds of jobs within the state of Maryland. Speak about the truth that you might be about to kick veterans and seniors off of well being care. Don’t be concerned about my future. Fear about theirs.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I need to ask you, you introduced up immigration one of many residents of your state, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was simply launched from pretrial detention on Friday. However the Trump administration has instructed him to report back to ICE inside 72 hours for deportation to Uganda. He is initially from El Salvador. He was mistakenly deported to that jail in El Salvador after which returned to the U.S. That is federal coverage. This isn’t state coverage. However I do marvel, is there something that you’re doing to assist his household keep united?
GOV. MOORE: And the- what we all know is that- , and all we’re asking for, is that the structure be adopted on this. The structure could be very clear about how we take care of all these points, and after we take a look at what’s occurred on this scenario, it is the President manipulating the truth that now we have a really damaged immigration system inside this nation. However as an alternative of really doing the work that it requires to repair it, really working in Congress to give you a complete immigration invoice, the President is utilizing to just- working to use the brokenness. And I’m very clear that there isn’t any greater precedence for me than public security–
MARGARET BRENNAN: You need him to face a day in court docket, in different phrases.
GOV. MOORE: Completely. I would like due course of. I simply merely desire a court docket and a decide to resolve what will be the longer term destiny of this case and all instances like this, and never merely the President of america or the Secretary of Homeland Safety who’s attempting to be decide, Juror, prosecutor and executioner inside this case. I imagine within the Structure, and I imagine that that is what we should always observe for this case.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I need to ask you about one thing your celebration is tinkering with right here, redistricting or gerrymandering, as some individuals comprehend it. You have mentioned you do not like speaking about it, however all choices are on the desk in relation to your state. There’s solely one- one seat right here that’s really Republican, and it is a seat held by Consultant Andy Harris. Are you contemplating attempting to redraw traces in Maryland?
GOV. MOORE: Yeah. Once I say all choices are on the desk, all choices are on the desk.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you actively it now?
GOV. MOORE: Yeah as a result of and I believe- and I believe now we have to–
MARGARET BRENNAN: You might be?
GOV. MOORE: Sure, and I believe- and I believe now we have to, as a result of I believe what’s occurred is that is what individuals hate about politics within the first place, the truth that the President of america similar to what he did in Georgia, the place he referred to as up a collection of voter registrants and mentioned, I want you to search out me extra votes. We’re watching the identical factor now, the place he is calling up legislatures across the nation and saying, I want you to search out me extra congressional districts.
MARGARET BRENNAN: He is doing it. Which may be completely different, however Democrats redistrict this, Gavin Newsom is doing it proper now. Just a few years in the past in New York, we noticed this. This will backfire. Do you actually need to go down this highway?
GOV. MOORE: I need to make it possible for now we have honest traces and honest seats, the place we do not have conditions where- the place politicians are selecting voters, however that voters even have an opportunity to decide on their elected officers. We want to have the ability to have honest maps. And we additionally must make it possible for if the President of america is placing his finger on the dimensions to attempt to manipulate elections, as a result of he is aware of that his insurance policies can not win in a poll field, then it behooves every one in every of us to have the ability to maintain all choices on the desk to make sure that the voters voices can really be heard, and we will have maps.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And you do not suppose that one district the place they represent- they’ve a Republican consultant that they’re actively being represented in Maryland?
GOV. MOORE: I believe in case you take a look at maps throughout the nation, lower than 10% of congressional seats are literally aggressive by nature. Lower than 10%. And so in case you take a look at the typical win margin in our state and so many states, the typical win margin is upwards of 20 to 30% so meaning we have already got so many gerrymandered areas that now we have to have the ability to add a measure of equity in the best way that it is utilized. And so sure, all choices have to be on the desk within the state of Maryland.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And also you’re it, you mentioned.
GOV. MOORE: Sure we’re.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor, thanks on your time this morning.
GOV. MOORE: Thanks a lot.
MARGARET BRENNAN: ‘Face the Nation’ will probably be again in a minute. Stick with us.
