WASHINGTON — Maryland’s Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” Sunday that he was ruling out a presidential run in 2028.
Asked by moderator Kristen Welker whether he had ruled out a run for president, Moore confirmed that he had.
“Yeah, I’m not running for president,” he said.
Asked a second time to confirm he was ruling out a presidential run, he reiterated “yes,” listing his accomplishments as Maryland’s governor and emphasizing his interest in serving another term.
“Our population is growing, Maryland is moving, and so I’m really excited about going back in front of the people of my state and asking for another term,” Moore said.
Moore had previously been floated as a 2028 presidential contender. Earlier this year, Moore said on ABC’s “The View” that he was not running for president.
The governor also said on “Meet the Press” that “all options are on the table” during the national redistricting fight, including redrawing Maryland’s congressional districts.
At the same time, Moore said, he believed that “gerrymandering is actually a true stain on a larger democratic soul.”
“I do believe that when we’re looking at how we should have our elections, that we should not have elections where you have the policymakers who are selecting their voters, but voters who are selecting the policymakers,” he added.
Moore has previously made similar comments, saying on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” last month that “all options are on the table.” Rep. Andy Harris is the sole Republican congressman in Maryland.
“If Donald Trump is going to start picking and choosing which states that should have a chance to re-evaluate how they’re thinking about that, then the state of Maryland should also — should not sit on their hands,” he said, referring to redistricting.
The governor’s comments come after Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting push in Texas touched off a national debate over whether Democrats, too, should lean into redistricting to offset potential GOP gains. On the Democratic side, California Gov. Gavin Newsom championed efforts to redistrict California to bolster Democrats’ chances at gaining congressional seats in the state.
Californians are set to vote in November on whether to redraw district maps, and new maps in Texas were signed into law last month, though they face a challenge in court. Republicans in Missouri, Indiana and Florida are also weighing redistricting efforts.
The governor also addressed President Donald Trump’s threat last month to send troops to Baltimore in order to “clean up the crime.” National Guard troops remain in nearby Washington, D.C., and in recent weeks, the president has expressed interest in sending troops to other Democratic-run cities.
Asked why Moore would not accept Trump’s offer to send National Guard troops to Baltimore, Moore said that “we absolutely accept the offer for federal support,” noting that support from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are things that the city could use. Moore also pointed to drops in crime in Baltimore without the use of National Guard troops.
Trump has previously told reporters that “we’re going in,” referring to Chicago, and on Saturday he posted what appeared to be an AI-generated image emblazoned with the words “Chipocalypse Now.”
“‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning...’ Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” the post said.
Illinois’ Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Saturday that the post was Trump “threatening to go to war with an American city,” a view echoed by Moore on Sunday.
“I call it threat. I call it embarrassing. I would call it performative,” Moore said of the post.
