Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland Democrats blame Trump, deploy contingency plans during shutdown

Sam Janesch, The Baltimore Sun on Oct 1, 2025

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BALTIMORE — During the initial hours of the federal government shutdown on Wednesday, Gov. Wes Moore and other Maryland Democrats attributed the blame entirely to President Donald Trump while outlining the stakes for the coming weeks.

“On behalf of the six and a half million Marylanders, my message to President Trump is clear: Stop this shutdown,” the Democratic governor said. “You’re the one causing it. We’re the ones dealing with it.”

Moore, gathering with other officials at the State House nine hours after the midnight shutdown, said the state was taking immediate actions to lessen the blows.

The state government would step in, he said, to continue running welfare programs and paying public employees who are supported by federal funds. The state’s unemployment insurance system and additional loan options have also been prepared in case federal workers miss paychecks.

But there’s only so much Maryland can do if the stalemate stretches on, officials said.

“The longer this unnecessary shutdown lasts, the more likely we are to see serious damage in our state,” Moore said. “We can see big infrastructure projects delayed. We can see military families, people who already sacrificed for this country, go without pay for weeks. We can see small businesses dip into the red.”

The governor said he directed state agencies to deploy “contingency plans” to keep federally funded programs — like Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families — continually operating.

He said he would also work with private sector companies to “shield federal workers” who are impacted by trying to help them avoid eviction or utility shut-offs if they can’t cover their bills.

Some of those workers will also be eligible for unemployment insurance or separate no-interest loans if the shutdown lasts at least two weeks.

Reps. Sarah Elfreth, Johnny Olszewski Jr. and April McClain Delaney were among those joining state leaders in Annapolis to rail against Trump and warn about the potential impacts.

The Democrats together represent about 269,000 federal employees who live in Maryland, one of the largest concentrations in the country.

Elfreth called Trump’s threats to fire workers during the shutdown — a move aimed to get Democrats to vote for Republican-passed legislation to avoid the shutdown — “deeply offensive.” Olszewski said Trump had treated those Marylanders as “political pawns.”

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