Honor the service, follow the facts

PUBLISHED: June 14, 2026 | www.baltimoresun.com

There is an important distinction that seems to be getting lost in the discussion surrounding Gov. Wes Moore’s military record: respect for service and the pursuit of truth are not mutually exclusive.

Let me begin where I have always begun. I am proud of Gov. Wes Moore’s service to our country. I respect any man or woman who voluntarily raises a hand and agrees to serve in uniform. Military service requires sacrifice, discipline, and courage. It separates those willing to accept responsibility for something larger than themselves from those who merely talk about service.

I also have tremendous respect for Maryland’s First Lady, Dawn Moore. She has been a gracious representative of our state and a devoted advocate for many important causes.

That respect has never changed.

What has also never changed is The Baltimore Sun’s obligation to pursue facts wherever they lead.

The suggestion that examining contradictions in a public official’s statements somehow diminishes military service is a dangerous standard for journalism. If that principle were accepted, then any aspect of a public official’s biography would become immune from scrutiny simply because it involves a respected institution or personal sacrifice.

That is not how journalism works.

The issue has never been whether Gov. Moore served honorably. He did.

The issue has never been whether he volunteered for deployment. He did.

The issue has never been whether he loves his country. By all accounts, he does.

The issue is whether the public record regarding various descriptions of his military experience, awards, deployments, and service history has been consistent and accurate.

Those are legitimate questions for any governor, senator, president, or public official.

The Baltimore Sun did not invent the discrepancies. The governor’s own public statements, writings, interviews, and records created the questions. Our responsibility was to examine them.

Ironically, much of the recent discussion appears to validate why those questions were worth asking in the first place. The governor himself has acknowledged various inconsistencies and contradictions in how portions of his military story have been presented over the years.

That acknowledgment matters.

It is also worth noting that recent reporting by The Baltimore Banner relied substantially upon reporting that originated with The Baltimore Sun. Readers can debate conclusions, interpretations, and motivations, but they cannot honestly deny that many of the facts now being discussed entered public conversation because journalists at The Sun pursued them.

Good journalism often makes people uncomfortable. It is supposed to.

The same newspaper that asks difficult questions of Republicans must ask difficult questions of Democrats. The same standards that are applied to conservatives must be applied to progressives. The same scrutiny given to a candidate running for office must continue after that person occupies the office.

Anything less becomes advocacy rather than journalism.

I recently participated in a discussion at Towson University about truth and misinformation. During that conversation, I stated something I firmly believe: our job is not to get it first; our job is to get it right.

That principle applies here.

Could journalists make mistakes? Absolutely. Every honest reporter understands that possibility. Humility is an essential part of the profession.

But humility does not mean abandoning legitimate questions simply because they involve a popular politician.

Nor does it mean accepting explanations without examination.

The Baltimore Sun does not seek to delegitimize Gov. Moore’s military service. We do not seek to diminish his sacrifice. We do not seek to erase his accomplishments.

We seek only what newspapers are supposed to seek: the truth.

The public can decide for itself how much the discrepancies matter politically. Some may conclude they are significant. Others may conclude they are not.

Reasonable people can disagree.

What should not be controversial is the notion that facts matter, records matter, and accuracy matters.

Respect for military service and accountability to the truth can coexist.

In fact, in a healthy democracy, they must.

The governor deserves respect for serving his country. The people of Maryland deserve accurate information from their elected officials. And journalists deserve neither praise nor condemnation for asking questions in pursuit of facts.

The truth is not partisan. It is not ideological. It does not belong to the left or the right.

It simply belongs to itself.

That is all The Baltimore Sun has sought, and all it will continue to seek.

Armstrong Williams (www.armstrongwilliams.com; @arightside) is a political analyst, syndicated columnist and owner of the broadcasting company, Howard Stirk Holdings. He is also a part-owner of The Baltimore Sun.