Maryland Governor Wes Moore took aim at President Donald Trump during an MS NOW appearance, accusing the president of enriching himself while Americans lost ground financially. The Democrat turned to his own governing record, promoting Maryland’s crime and employment figures. His attack came after his administration approved substantial tax and fee increases at home.
Moore appeared on the October 27th, 2026, broadcast of “The Beat” with Ari Melber. The program’s episode description identified Democratic strategy and affordability among the evening’s subjects, with former Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown also appearing. Moore’s remarks addressed what Democrats should offer voters when asking them to put the party back in power.
The governor began by treating his assessment of Trump as something viewers already agreed with. He accused the president of accumulating personal wealth over the previous two years at the public’s expense. Moving to Democrats’ election message, Moore asked, “What are the things you’re actually hoping to get done when you come into power?”
According to the remarks Breitbart reported, Moore claimed Maryland had achieved a nearly 60% reduction in violent crime, describing its decline as the country’s fastest. He also touted job growth approaching twice the national average and unemployment below the national rate. He said those results came despite Maryland being hardest hit by federal job cuts.
Maryland’s own financial decisions have drawn sharp criticism. At a March 2025 news conference announcing a budget framework, Moore attacked Trump’s tariffs and federal workforce reductions while outlining state tax increases. As the Associated Press reported, the proposal sought to address a $3.3 billion deficit. Republican lawmakers pointed out that the shortfall existed before Trump returned to office that January, challenging the Democratic leadership’s effort to assign responsibility to Washington.
The final package extended beyond higher taxes on wealthy residents. Maryland’s Department of Legislative Services documented a new 3% sales tax on data and information technology services, along with a 2% capital gains surcharge for filers whose federal adjusted gross income exceeded $350,000. Lawmakers also increased the cannabis tax from 9% to 12% and the sports wagering tax from 15% to 20%. The income tax changes included a 20% increase in the standard deduction.
Watch Moore defend the 2025 Maryland budget in this earlier video:
"*" indicates required fields
Drivers faced additional charges under the same legislation. The vehicle title fee doubled from $100 to $200, while the vehicle excise tax increased from 6% to 6.5%. The emissions inspection fee rose from $14 to $30. Lawmakers also established a $5 charge on the first sale of a new tire beginning January 1, 2026, with those transportation measures contributing revenue to the state’s Transportation Trust Fund.
Moore signed the $67 billion fiscal 2026 spending plan on May 20, 2025, including more than $1.6 billion in taxes and fees. His administration and legislative leaders said 92% of taxpayers would receive a small refund or see no increase in their income taxes. As Maryland Matters reported, Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey objected to that particular presentation of the package, saying, “today’s bill signing wasn’t a celebration of tax relief, it was the final approval of a growing list of new taxes.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.