Gov. Wes Moore on Trump: 'I pray for him and I just feel bad for him'

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, the nation's only Black governor currently in office, faced continued criticism from President Donald Trump during his visit to Washington for the National Governors Association conference on February 19, 2026, with Trump refusing to invite him to a White House dinner and attacking him over a sewage spill in the Potomac River despite the pipe being under federal jurisdiction. The tension comes as Moore works to redraw Maryland's congressional map to boost Democrats, part of a nationwide redistricting battle that Trump initiated to help Republicans. Moore, who is frequently mentioned as a potential Democratic presidential candidate and serves as vice chair of the National Governors Association, addressed Trump's behavior during an interview with The Associated Press. When asked about Trump's criticism, including his exclusion from the White House dinner and comments about the Potomac River sewage spill, Moore expressed confusion about the personal nature of the attacks. 'This is literally nothing to do with us, with the exception of the fact that when we first heard about what happened, that I ordered our team to assist Washington, D.C.,' Moore stated, adding that he doesn't understand why Trump 'woke up and just said, I hate Maryland so I'm just going to introduce them into a conversation.' Regarding Trump's ongoing criticism, Moore suggested it might reflect deeper issues with the president. 'I know it's not for me. I have no desire to have beef with the president of the United States,' Moore said. 'I didn't run for governor like, man, I can't wait so me and the president can go toe to toe. I have no desire on that. But the fact that he is waking up in the middle of the night and tweeting about me, I just, I pray for him and I just feel bad for him because that has just got to be a really, really hard existence.' Moore also commented on Trump's relationship with the Black community, noting 'a very complicated history' that includes lawsuits over treatment of Black tenants, promotion of birtherism, and attempts to ban books about Black history.