Tensions rise between President Trump and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in battle over Potomac sewage, immigration

Tensions between Maryland's State House and the White House have been on the rise with President Trump and Gov. Wes Moore trading barbs over the past week on everything from immigration to sewage in the Potomac. 

War of words 

The week started with Mr. Trump's criticism of Maryland's Democratic governor in comments aboard Air Force One. 

"He's just a bad governor. He's not doing a good job, Wes Moore. He's doing a terrible job," the president said Monday.

Moore fired back in several national appearances, including on MSNOW, where he said, "I wish the president wasn't as obsessed with me, and he would be more obsessed with the American people. He seems to be wholly obsessed with me. I just wish he'd be more obsessed with them."

Down the drain 

Few issues show how much their relationship is in the toilet more than the sniping over the massive sewage spill in the Potomac River. 

On Truth Social, Trump accused Moore of "gross mismanagement."     

"He's clearly shown he's incapable of fixing this problem, which is why President Trump and the federal government are standing by to step in," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a recent briefing. 

Moore pushed back and insisted the federal government is responsible.

"For these past four weeks, the Trump-Vance administration has failed to act. His federal administration has been shirking its responsibilities and putting people's health at risk," the governor said as he chaired a meeting of the state's spending board Wednesday. 

And on CNN, Moore was blunt. 

"Mr. President, please do your job," he implored. 

Mileah Kromer is the director of the UMBC Institute of Politics and has done extensive polling on both Trump's and Moore's approval ratings in Maryland. 

"Underlying this are important issues. They are important to everyday residents who live in the state, so the back-and-forth regarding the sewage between the governor and the president doesn't solve the problem immediately for the folks who are deeply affected by the Potomac River or any of these issues," Kromer said. "The governor has been on record saying he does wish to work with anybody who is willing to work with him. But he doesn't want to bend the knee to anybody, and I think that's certainly part of that conflict between the two."

Kromer noted Trump continues to be deeply unpopular in deep blue Maryland. 

"The majority of voters are supportive of the governor pushing back against the Trump administration," Kromer told WJZ. "Not just in Maryland, but nationwide, the Democrats would like to see their leaders push back against President Donald Trump."

Kromer said Moore could be the winner politically in these recent disputes. 

"The reason the president is giving so much attention to the governor of Maryland is because a lot of people think the governor of Maryland is a future leader of the Democratic Party and could be a potential, very serious presidential contender," Kromer said. "…Any number of these conflicts are good frankly for [Moore's] brand."

Immigration dispute, White House snub

The fighting did not end with the Potomac sewage issue.

It spilled over into immigration after Moore signed a law this week banning 287(g)  agreements between local and federal law enforcement. 

"It's another despicable action by Governor Wes Moore," Leavitt fired back on Trump's behalf. "Why would you prevent your state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal law enforcement?"

Last week, the president did not invite Moore to a meeting of the nation's governors at The White House. 

Trump lashed out on Truth Social, calling Moore "foul mouthed" and Baltimore a "crime disaster."  

Asked at last week's CBS News' Things That Matter Town Hall on the Eastern Shore why he thinks the president singled him out, Moore replied, "I can't speak to the president's heart. I can speak to his actions, and I do want to be clear to the president: Respectfully, you do not determine my worthiness."

While Moore gains exposure, there are concerns over the fallout, particularly with big projects like the replacement Francis Scott Key bridge in the works that depend on federal help.    

"The governor of a state should not be held hostage in fear of retribution because that retribution doesn't hurt him as individual. It hurts the people who live here. Many of whom, not a majority, but some of them voted for the president," Kromer said. 

Past criticism 

Trump's criticism of Maryland is nothing new and garnered national attention seven years ago during his first term. 

The president's target then was Baltimore and the late Congressman Elijah Cummings.

"Those people are living in hell in Baltimore,"  Trump said in July 2019. 

He called Cummings' district a "rat and rodent-infested mess" and tweeted that no human would want to live there. 

After days of attacks from the president, Cummings posted on social media. 

"I will continue to do every day what I am duty-bound to do—help my constituents to live their best lives and serve as a check on the Executive Branch" Cummings tweeted at the time.

The longtime congressman died later that year.