By AFRO Staff
Gov. Wes Moore has responded to recent personal insults from the Oval Office by reaffirming his commitment to public safety and inviting the president to actually visit Baltimore and some of the other Black-led cities he has insulted instead of spouting “old, tired tropes about violence in Black communities.”
“If you are not willing to be part of the solution, keep our names out of your mouth,” Moore said Aug. 21 before a crowd gathered to mark demolition at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. “Specifically, Donald Trump, if you are not willing to walk our communities, keep our name out of your mouth.”
In a letter addressed to the 47th president dated that same day, Moore reiterated his invitation for the president to visit Baltimore and to discuss strategies for effective public safety policy.
“I would like to formally invite you to attend our next public safety walk in September, at a date of your choosing,” the letter stated.
Moore also affirmed his commitment to public safety and touted the “staggering drops in violent crime” that he said resulted from the administration’s “all-of-the-above approach,” which included mobilizing state resources, partnering with local stakeholders and improving data coordination.
Since his inauguration, homicides in the state are down by 20 percent, Moore said. Additionally, in the first six months of 2025, the Baltimore Police Department continued to see double-digit reductions in gun violence, including a 22 percent decrease in homicides and a 19 percent decrease in non-fatal shootings from the year before.
“If there’s anything Maryland has proven over the last two years, it’s that we can achieve performance without being performative,” Moore added. “Progress requires the right tool for the right mission. Asking the patriotic citizen soldiers of our National Guard to police our cities doesn’t meet that test.”
Moore’s letter, in which he tried to “clarify his frustration,” came after President Trump assumed control of Washington, D.C.’s police department and deployed National Guard troops into its streets, claiming out-of-control crime. During the announcement, the commander-in-chief also threatened to send troops to other cities led by Black, Democratic mayors, singling out Baltimore as “so far gone” on crime.
In response to the threatened overreach, Moore reminded the president that he is the “commander-in-chief” of Maryland’s guard, and “I will not authorize the usage of our National Guard for something that is not mission critical or mission aligned. Period,” he said on “The Tea” with BlackPressUSA’s April Ryan.
Moore went further, underscoring his actual understanding of the role and laws defining the function of the National Guard compared to the president.
“Unlike the president of the United States, I’ve actually worn the uniform of this country. Unlike the president of the United States, I actually deployed overseas and fought on behalf of the United States of America,” said Moore, who served his country as a captain in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.
“And so I do not need and will not accept any type of lecture from someone who the only uniform they have worn is a Brooks Brother suit,” he continued.
In response to Moore’s letter, the Trump administration doubled down on its criticism, calling Baltimore the fourth most dangerous place in the U.S.
“Perhaps Gov. Moore should take a page out of the President’s playbook,” a White House spokesperson is reported as saying.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott also decried the president’s deployment of troops in D.C., saying Trump should be focused on banning assault rifles and committing federal dollars to Charm City if he is truly committed to improving public safety.
“President Trump’s takeover of Washington, DC’s police force makes two things very clear. First: that he will do anything, and sacrifice anyone, to boost his own ego. And second: that he has no real solutions to make our country any safer, healthier, or freer,” Scott said in a statement posted on X on Aug. 22.
Scott also pointed to Baltimore’s historic lows in crime, belying the White House’s characterization of the majority-Black city.
In the first seven months of 2025, Baltimore has had 84 homicides compared to 111 homicides in the beginning seven months of 2024. That’s the fewest number of homicides in over five decades, with significant drops in both fatal and nonfatal incidents. These gains reflect the efforts of law enforcement, city agencies, local groups and community members working together toward long-term safety, Scott said.
Since Scott has been in office, the homicide clearance rate has jumped up 29.7 percent since 2020 to 64.3 percent in 2025. Police data also shows a steady decline in other crimes, including vehicle thefts, robberies and arson. As of late July 2025, overall citywide crime rates remain on a downward trend.
“Here in Baltimore, we have driven down violence to 50-year lows, with significant reductions across every major crime category. This has not happened by chance. It is the result of an intentional strategy, coordinated alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement, violence interrupters, and community leaders,” Scott added. “In contrast, the President has embraced unconstitutional stop-and-frisk tactics, diverted federal law enforcement from their actual jobs to instead conduct indiscriminate traffic stops, and slashed funding for public safety programs that are driving real progress.”
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