AUSTIN, Texas—Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who is seen as a potential presidential contender, said during a keynote speaking address that his party could learn from President Donald Trump’s ability to move quickly and deliver results.
Moore discussed the state of the country, his state, and the Democratic Party, setting the stage for his broader points on Nov. 13 at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. The annual event features a lineup of political speakers, newsmakers, and journalists discussing current events.
Moore said it would be foolish to ignore the speed at which Trump moves, though he criticized Trump’s rapid action as harmful across several fronts, including trade.
“I just think that the Democratic Party has got to stop being the party of no and slow and start being the party of yes and now," he said.
Democrats don’t have a messaging problem; they have a problem taking action, he said. If they offer solutions and act on them, they will win elections, he added.
Moore's desire for Democratic action also framed advice he gave to Zohran Mamdani, New York City's mayor-elect, who sought guidance on challenging Trump.
“The advice that I gave him is performance matters more than anything else. They want results.” Moore said of New Yorkers.
Expanding on this point, Moore added, "What Donald Trump is talking about, what Donald Trump is doing—is performative."
Discussing his own experiences, Moore recalled challenging Trump when the president wanted to send the National Guard to Baltimore to curb crime. Moore said publicly that he welcomed help from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
During a September press conference, Trump called Baltimore “a hellhole” along with Chicago when planning to crack down on crime in blue cities by sending in the National Guard.
“I said, ‘Mr. President, you shouldn’t look at us like we're the problem. Actually, you should look at us like we're the solution,'” Moore said.
Cutting crime and hiring more police officers have been priorities for the Maryland governor. Moore said that in 2022, Baltimore was averaging about a homicide a day.
Since he took office, Maryland has seen historic drops in violent crime, Moore added.
Building on his earlier points, Moore said that Trump doesn't wait for institutions to write their own versions of his plan before implementing it.
“Everything from Democrats is like an eight-year research paper,” he said, “Donald Trump did not need a two-year commission to decide who's going to start a trade war.”
He blamed Trump for failing to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown, citing its impact on children. He did not mention that most Democrats voted against reopening the government, however.
SNAP benefits are expected to be restored by Nov. 17, following the passage of funding legislation on Nov. 12 to reopen the federal government, which had disrupted the SNAP program.