Gov. Wes Moore touches on relationship with Trump administration in CBS News town hall series
Gov. Wes Moore and the people of Maryland will be front and center in the premiere edition of the CBS News town hall series "Things That Matter."
Filmed at The Packing House venue in Cambridge Thursday, CBS News senior correspondent Norah O'Donnell sat down with Moore to talk about the things that matter to Maryland.
The town hall's goals
For O'Donnell, the aim of the "Things That Matter" series is to hear from communities about the big issues. When it comes to Maryland, she said there's a lot that can translate to a national audience.
"If you talk about affordability, prices going up. Not only in terms of home prices, [but also] grocery store prices, all of those things. Certainly, those are a concern here in Maryland, also a concern for voters across the country," she said.
But more importantly, it's about bringing those issues to someone who can be held accountable. With it being a midterm election year, O'Donnell said these conversations will be key.
"Things That Matter" to Maryland
"We know that there's controversy that exists, let's talk about it," O'Donnell said. "Let's ask tough questions to people in power. That's what these town halls are about."
The conversation with Moore covered a wide range of topics.
It covered state issues like rising utility costs and the redistricting effort, to national topics like President Trump's immigration policies and the Epstein files.
The governor even answered the question of whether or not he'll run for president.
Gov. Moore and President Trump
Some of O'Donnell's questions inquired about Moore's relationship with President Trump and his administration. One of her questions addressed his snub from the National Governors Association dinner at the White House.
"I do want to be clear to the president, respectfully, you do not determine my worthiness," Moore said. "God determines my worthiness. The people of Maryland determine my worthiness. They are who I answer to, not him."
Many attendees told WJZ they appreciated the town hall happening on the Eastern Shore. They wanted their issues and concerns to be front and center.
"I wanna see what his perspective is gonna be of making sure the Eastern Shore does not get left out when it comes to funding opportunities," said Veronica Taylor, from Cambridge.
Mike Dodd, also from Cambridge, had concerns about redistricting.
"We feel like the map that's been drawn is unconstitutional because it disenfranchises 40% of the state, essentially getting rid of the one lone Republican that we have," Dodd said. "At this point, we think it's unfair."
The town hall also drew a number of protesters. Some were protesting against the governor, as well as critical of the town hall itself.
Watch CBS News Things That Matter: A Town Hall with Governor Wes Moore, moderated by Norah O'Donnell on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT, right after 60 Minutes on CBS.
