In a CBS News "Things That Matter" municipality hall, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore criticized President Trump's handling of migration arsenic good arsenic the shortcomings of the Biden medication connected the issue. He fired backmost astatine a spate of insults from the president, but hinted that Democrats could prime up a fewer lessons from Mr. Trump arsenic they question to shed their representation arsenic "the enactment of nary and slow."
The Army veteran-turned-Democratic politician besides addressed his ain governmental aboriginal during the hourlong treatment moderated by CBS News elder analogous Norah O'Donnell, airing Sunday.
Here are the highlights:
Moore: Democrats request to halt being "the enactment of nary and slow"
Asked what the Democratic enactment should bash differently, Moore said: "Democrats person got to halt being the enactment of nary and slow, and commencement being the enactment of yes and now."
"Everything cannot beryllium a 10-year study. Everything cannot beryllium a 15-year analysis, right?" the politician added. "If I'm telling you that I consciousness similar the schoolhouse that my kid is attending is not preparing them for the world, I don't privation to perceive you archer me, 'Well fto maine conscionable marque definite that I enactment a committee unneurotic to analyse that.'"
He suggested that Democrats could gully inspiration from an improbable source: Mr. Trump.
"He does not discarded time," the politician said. "Donald Trump did not request an investigation to determine that helium was going to rip distant nutrient assistance for the radical of our state. Donald Trump did not request a five-year survey to find that helium was going to deploy national agents wrong of our communities and neighborhoods with nary accountability."
Earlier successful the municipality hall, Moore pushed his enactment to absorption connected "addressing the issues that radical attraction about," similar the outgo of living, alternatively than offering "red meat" to its existing supporters.
"I deliberation successful this infinitesimal that the occupation of the Democratic Party is not to conscionable energize the base," Moore said. "It's to enlargen it. It's to talk to everybody."
Does Moore deliberation Trump is simply a racist?
Moore has recovered himself successful Mr. Trump's crosshairs successful caller days. He was 1 of 2 Democrats who Mr. Trump declared "not worthy" to get invited to an yearly White House gathering and meal with governors from some parties this month.
In a Truth Social post, the president called Moore "foul mouthed," criticized his show arsenic Maryland politician and accused him of lying astir receiving a subject medal. Moore said Mr. Trump's station was "full of lies" and "unhinged."
Moore shrugged disconnected the White House snub, saying that "if the constituent of the gathering is to crook it into name-calling … I volition not go."
"I volition enactment with anyone. But I volition bow down to nary one," Moore told CBS News. "And I deliberation the president has a occupation with that."
Earlier this month, Mr. Trump drew bipartisan criticism implicit a Truth Social station that included a depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama arsenic apes. A litany of Republican lawmakers called the video — which has been deleted — "racist," "incredibly offensive" and "inappropriate." The president said helium didn't spot the violative portion of the video earlier posting it.
Asked if helium believes Mr. Trump is simply a racist, Moore said it's a question for the president to answer.
"But, frankly, I deliberation his actions astir apt springiness the reply earlier helium adjacent has a accidental to reply it himself," the Maryland politician said.
Moore criticizes Trump's migration crackdown — but says Biden "needed to bash more"
Moore was captious of Mr. Trump's handling of immigration, including a surge successful Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests that helium argued has ensnared galore people who autumn acold abbreviated of the Trump administration's pledge to spell aft the "worst of the worst."
He said ICE, which received a massive infusion of funds past year, is, by funding, "the largest instrumentality enforcement bureau successful this country, and they are utilizing their resources arresting 5-year-olds. And so, I person a precise hard clip seeing however this is making america safer."
The politician also said that some parties person "punted" connected immigration. Asked astir the surge successful unauthorized borderline crossings during erstwhile President Joe Biden's clip successful office, Moore said, "I decidedly deliberation that the erstwhile president did not person this right."
"We needed to bash more," helium said. "I don't deliberation anyone tin reason that we had the strategy worked retired nether President Biden — that migration was worked out."
He said Congress needs to walk broad migration reform, and faulted the existent GOP-led House and Senate for a "continued abdication of responsibility."
Moore says "justice has to beryllium served" for Epstein's crimes
Moore called the revelations that person travel to airy successful millions of recently released Justice Department files connected the precocious enactment offender "sickening."
He continued: "there needs to beryllium accountability for anybody who was successful those files."
"I deliberation if you are recovered blameworthy of doing these horrific things to these children, I bash not attraction your inheritance nor governmental affiliation, justness has to beryllium served," the politician said.
The trove of files connected Epstein and his convicted associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, person offered caller details connected the government's investigations into Epstein for kid intersexual abuse, including connected the piles of grounds that investigators had amassed for decades. Many Epstein survivors person blasted the Justice Department for letting Epstein debar national charges until 2019, and for initially resolving his lawsuit with a 2008 plea woody connected prostitution charges successful Florida authorities court.
Epstein died by termination portion awaiting proceedings successful national custody successful 2019. Maxwell was convicted of enactment trafficking conspiracy and different crimes, and was sentenced to 20 years successful prison.
It's not wide that anybody different than Epstein and Maxwell is implicated successful immoderate crimes, but many large names look successful the files, reflecting the adjacent relationships that Epstein cultivated with the affluent and powerful. Inclusion successful the files is not needfully grounds of wrongdoing.
"The deficiency of accountability, the deficiency of transparency, and frankly the deficiency of justness that we person seen from this has been staggering," Moore said. "And truthful I basal with the many, galore Americans who accidental determination needs to beryllium accountability for what happened to these children."
Moore: "I'm not moving for president"
Moore is wide viewed arsenic a imaginable statesmanlike contender. But helium told CBS News helium isn't considering a tally for the White House successful 2028.
"I'm not moving for president," Moore said, adding that helium is focusing connected his 2026 reelection bid.
Asked if helium would ever see moving for president successful the future, the 47-year-old politician said: "I don't spot a crushed … I emotion my job, and I emotion what I'm doing."
Cost of surviving is simply a "big problem" successful Maryland
Most Americans clasp a dim presumption of the authorities of the economy, with wide vexation implicit the outgo of living, according to caller CBS News/YouGov polling. Maryland is acold from immune: The authorities comptroller found past October that astir 40,000 radical person near Maryland annually successful caller years, with galore moving to states with little lodging costs. Utility bills person also surged.
Moore acknowledged that lodging and vigor costs are excessively high.
"It is simply a nationalist problem. But it is simply a precise large occupation successful the authorities of Maryland," the politician said. "It's conscionable harder to get by. And frankly, it's not fair."
He said the authorities hasn't done capable to physique much lodging oregon "fortify" the electrical grid by adding much generating capacity. He said he's pushing determination powerfulness grid relation PJM to headdress costs and "stop slowing down" approvals of caller vigor projects.
Moore besides called himself "one of the astir assertive lodging governors successful this country," highlighting a proposal to physique lodging units connected state-owned land.
Moore presses Maryland Senate to instrumentality up redistricting
Moore is pushing authorities lawmakers to redraw Maryland's legislature representation to springiness Democrats a accidental of winning the state's sole GOP-controlled House district, portion of a nationwide question of mid-decade redistricting efforts.
The redistricting measurement passed the authorities House, but it has stalled successful the Senate, with the chamber's person arguing it could backfire by diluting Democrats' borderline successful different districts.
Moore told CBS News each he's asking of the authorities Senate is: "Debate it. Discuss it. And bash your antiauthoritarian work to vote. No substance however the ballot goes, I'm good, due to the fact that that's democracy."
The politician faulted Republicans for firing the opening salvo successful the redistricting combat by redrawing Texas' representation to make 5 caller GOP-leaning seats. After Texas passed its maps, California made 5 of its House districts much Democratic, and Missouri and North Carolina drew 1 caller GOP-leaning territory apiece. Virginia Democrats are besides looking to redistrict.
"Donald Trump started this speech erstwhile helium started calling Texas and said, 'I request you to find maine votes,'" helium said.
"CBS News Things That Matter: A Town Hall with Gov. Wes Moore" airs Sunday, Feb. 15, astatine 8 p.m. ET/PT connected CBS stations, close aft "60 Minutes," and tin beryllium streamed connected Paramount+. "Things That Matter" is simply a bid of municipality halls and debates featuring the radical successful authorities and civilization who are shaping American life. Learn much here.
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