Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a combat veteran who led troops in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, accused President Donald Trump of displaying “a lack of seriousness” in dealing with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
“As someone who has worn this uniform, and you know, along with my fellow service members risked my life in defense of this country, to see such a free-wheeling conversation about issues of life and death is disappointing,” Moore said in an interview Thursday.
Moore’s comments come a day after Trump said at the White House that he delivered an “ultimate ultimatum” to leaders in Tehran about disarming their nuclear program while also telling reporters “I may do it, I may not do it” with regard to the U.S. striking Iran’s nuclear sites.
On Thursday, the White House said Trump will make a decision on whether to strike Iran within two weeks.
Moore, seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party and a potential 2028 presidential contender, emphasized the huge stakes at play in the ongoing and escalating Mideast conflict.
“These are serious issues and these are very serious times,” Moore said. “The lack of seriousness that is surrounding these conversations, the whole ‘will I-won’t I’ playing games is not helpful to this larger conversation. … These are people’s lives on the line.”
A White House spokesperson responded to Moore’s comment by reiterating Trump’s position on disabling Tehran’s nuclear capability.
“Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump because they trust him to keep our country safe,” Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary, said in a statement. “As the President has said consistently, Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon.”
The first-term governor has been sharpening his critiques of the Trump administration after previously saying he was “not the leader of the resistance.”
Moore had previously railed against the Trump administration’s issuing pink slips to federal workers and said those moves posed a threat to the nation’s national security and global competitiveness.
Moore’s comments come as the nation is observing Juneteenth, a federal holiday that marks the official end of slavery in the nation and a day where the governor unveiled a series of actions, including one that makes some 7,000 people convicted for simple cannabis possession eligible for pardon.
The nation’s only Black governor, who is up for reelection in 2026, has been criticized by some in his party over a decision to veto a reparation’s bill passed by Maryland’s Democratic-controlled state Legislature. The measure called for a yearslong study of race-based inequality in the state.
Recently, Moore has been raising his national profile ahead of a potential bid for the White House — even as he continues to publicly deny he’s running.
He was in early primary state South Carolina last month delivering a brief speech at Rep. Jim Clyburn’s annual fish fry, and also served as the keynote speaker at a South Carolina Democratic Party dinner and fundraiser — both must-attend events for Democratic White House hopefuls.
In early May, Moore traveled to Pennsylvania, one of the nation’s most important swing states, to deliver a commencement address at Lincoln University, a historically Black college, while also appearing on “The View.” In March, he served as the headliner at the annual Gridiron Club dinner.
When asked Thursday whether his time in South Carolina changed his mind about launching a presidential run, he responded: “The reception was very good. And I’m still not running.”
