Moore: “I have no interest in fighting with the president, but I am interested in fighting for my communities”

The governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, defended his rhetoric against President Donald Trump for the crime in his hometown of Baltimore amid an enmity between the two leaders.

“I have no interest in fighting with the president, but I am interested in fighting for my communities and fighting for our people,” Moore told ABC News “This Week”, Martha Raddatz, in an interview that was broadcast on Sunday.

Earlier this month, Trump offered to send the National Guard to other cities from all over the country after his application increases to Washington, DC, calling Baltimore “so far.” Moore responded formally inviting the president to join him and Baltimore officials on a public security walk.

After the two continued exchanging spikes on social networks, Trump rebuked the invitation and renewed his threat of sending the National Guard to Baltimore, calling the city an “infernal hole” in the Oval office on Tuesday.

“Wes Moore was telling me that he wants:” I want to walk with the president. “Well, I said: ‘I also want to walk with you, but first you have to clean your crime,” Trump said.

Baltimore, like most United States, has seen a fall in crime and homicides in recent years, but remains one of the most violent cities in the country. It had the fifth highest rate of violent crimes and the fourth highest murder rate per capita in cities with at least 100,000 people last year, according to recent FBI data.

While Moore acknowledged that there is still “work to do there,” promoted the progress that the State has made and shouted the president’s comments.

“It would be great if we could have a president of the United States to really understand that this is one of the great American change stories that is happening right now, and we would love the help to continue doing that job instead of this: arrogant criticism and cynicism that continues to introduce into conversation,” said Moore.

Moore said that while “he would love more federal support,” he called the National Guard deployment in Washington, “performative.”

Raddatz pressed Moore on the reduction of crime in Washington since the greatest federal presence than the mayor of DC Muriel Bowser cited this week.

“You heard mayor Bowser [they’ve seen an] 87% reduction in car theft, robberies cut in half. Why would you not want that here, if that is really helping? “Raddatz asked.

“If the president of the United States had a conversation would be with me and say, what can we do, especially when he observes the cost of the National Guard of more than one million dollars per day?” Moore replied. “I would say things like, we have to make sure to increase funds for the application of local law.”

“Ask me to deploy my national guard, people who are not trained for municipal surveillance, it is simply not a serious approach,” Moore added.

In publications on its social media platform, Trump has also resurfaced a controversy about Moore’s military history. The New York Times reported last year That Moore falsely said having received a bronze star in a 2006 White House application. During its 2022 campaign, Moore clips were introduced as a recipient of the bronze star and the interviewers did not run in 2008 and 2010.

Moore had been recommended for the medal, but did not receive it until last year and has He called it An “honest error.”

In response, Moore called Trump “President Bone Spurs” in a Publish in xreferring to Trump’s medical postponement of Vietnam’s draft.

Moore said about his publication: “When the president wants to attack my military history as someone who is actually a decorated combat veteran, as someone who has really served abroad, as someone who has defended the country, I only believe that if the president wants to have a real debate about the public service and about the sacrifice of this country, that debate should really sit. I am not the one who wants to have it with him.”

When asked why he put the bronze star in his 2006 request, Moore told Raddatz that “he did not think about it,” since his command officers told him to include him.

“I think it is a fairly common knowledge or a common belief that when you are, when your commanding officers and your superior officers tell you: ‘Listen, we put you, and we have passed through everything, so that while you go through your application, they include,” said Moore. “I included it and I didn’t think about that.”

He pressed why he did not correct the interviewers when they mistakenly presented him, Moore said: “Even at the time of those interviews, it was not something I thought.”

“Now I am grateful that the military, after discovering that the paperwork was lost and did not process [it]They returned and gave me the bronze star, “said Moore.” So I have a bronze star that I obtained in Afghanistan and a combat action badge that I won in Afghanistan. So I’m proud of that, but that’s not why I served. “

“But do you repent not to correct when they introduced you that way?” Raddatz asked.

“I do not regret not return and constantly review my service records. I do not do it. I am grateful for the service I did. I am grateful for the fact that I had the opportunity to lead soldiers in combat, what a small fraction of this town in this country will once understand,” Moore replied.

Moore’s national profile has emerged from his public shock with the president and some have Drawed comparisons in the shameless style of the governor of California Gavin Newsom.

When asked how the Democrats should approach Trump, Moore said the party should “move with the type of aggression that is necessary.”

“The Democrats do not have a messaging problem, there is a problem of results. Democrats have to deliver results and stop being the no and slow game and begin to be the game of themselves and now because the frustration that people have, is real,” said Moore.

While speculation is mounted on his future presidential ambitions, Moore said he focused on delivering results for Marylanders.

“You must concentrate on protecting your people at this time and the problems that people face in our states, and that is where I know that my approach is,” said Moore.