Maryland Gov. Wes Moore: The president is 'losing sleep over me,' but here's what he should lose sleep over

Jeff Barker, Baltimore Sun on Aug 28, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

President Donald Trump opened the latest act of his feud with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in an early morning social media insult, prompting Moore to reply: “The president of the United States is losing sleep over me.”

Trump, just after 2 a.m. Thursday, posted an old article on Truth Social about Moore incorrectly claiming to have won the Bronze Star — he did receive the award later — and said of Moore: “He was very disrespectful to the Office of the President!”

The post was the latest engagement in a theatrical war of words that analysts say may further solidify political support for the Republican president and Democratic first-term governor with their respective bases.

“They’re both getting something out of this,” said Roger Hartley, dean of the University of Baltimore’s College of Public Affairs. Trump is rallying supporters and “creating a deeper and deeper division” between rural and urban America, Hartley said. And Moore, he said, is raising his profile “as a potential (presidential) contender. When Donald Trump mixes it up with someone, he only does it with a serious person.”

Trump’s post referenced the Bronze Star that Moore incorrectly claimed he had received in 2006 (which he eventually did in 2024) and suggested the error could be “the end of his political career.”

Moore responded to reporters after touring Meade High School in Fort Meade on Thursday.

“I wish he would lose sleep over the fact that his policies are hurting working families,” he said.” I would love for the president to actually stay focused on what matters and know that he should stop worrying about me and start worrying about the people … the people in this country.”

After initially not engaging Trump early in his second presidency, Moore’s approach has shifted considerably in recent weeks — in ways that have underscored both the political opportunities for Moore and the potential perils for his state that could lose various forms of federal funding.

Trump has threatened to deploy federal troops to Baltimore because of crime and called the city a “hellhole” during a recent Cabinet meeting.

“We have hit a constitutional point where there’s no way Wes Moore could not engage and push back,” said St. Mary’s College political science professor Todd Eberly. “There’s a larger principle at stake which says that you can’t allow yourself to be basically threatened or coerced into accepting claims of power or threats against you.”

Mayor Brandon Scott on Thursday responded to Trump’s troop proposal by saying he welcomed agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms who already have a presence in the city. But, Scott said, ‘We do not want an occupation, right?”

The social media missives between Trump and Moore have included Moore calling Trump “President Bone Spurs” in reference to reporting that a medical condition allowed Trump to avoid the Vietnam War draft.

Trump alleged from the Oval Office on Monday that Moore said Trump is “the greatest president of my lifetime” during their brief meeting at the Army-Navy game in December.

“He came over to me, he hugged me, he shook my hand,” Trump said Monday. “He said: ‘Sir, you’re the greatest president of my lifetime.’”

In response to Trump’s allegation, Moore tweeted from his personal X account Monday, “Keep telling yourself that, Mr. President.”

The exchange was reminiscent of one that Trump had during his first term with the late Baltimore Rep. Elijah Cummings, who was a mentor to Moore.

Cummings, who died of cancer in 2019, had met with Trump at the White House in 2017 when both were working on plans to lower prescription drug prices.

Cummings wrote in a book released after his death that Trump falsely told the media that Cummings had proclaimed the Republican “would be one of the greatest presidents.”

Cummings quickly disputed Trump’s characterization of the conversation, and Trump later called Cummings “a brutal bully” and his Baltimore-area district “a rat and rodent infested mess.”

_____

Kevin Richardson of The Baltimore Sun contributed to this report.

_____