Nia-Malika Henderson, Columnist

The Maryland Governor Has Suddenly Joined the ‘Resistance’

Wes Moore’s approval ratings have taken a hit. He sees a chance for redemption in insulting Trump.

August 29, 2025 at 10:00 AM UTC

Nia-Malika Henderson is a politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. A former senior political reporter for CNN and the Washington Post, she has covered politics and campaigns for almost two decades.

Trump troller.
Photographer: Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE

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President Donald Trump has a new imaginary friend: Maryland Governor Wes Moore. In the president’s mind, Moore is among his biggest fans, privately lavishing him with praise and wrapping him in a hug at the Army Navy football game in December 2024.

“He said, ‘Sir, you’re the greatest president in my lifetime,’” Trump falsely recounted in the Oval Office on Monday. “I said, ‘It’s really nice that you say that. I’d love you to say it publicly, but I don’t think you can do that.’”