Wes Moore shows he's losing control of the narrative

PUBLISHED: April 9, 2026 | www.baltimoresun.com

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore could not wait to rush to national platforms to air his grievances over unfavorable coverage from The Baltimore Sun. He appeared, ironically, with Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary for Joe Biden, to slander the paper. His claim, offered without proof, was absurd on its face: The Sun’s co-owner is supposedly trying to curry favor with President Donald Trump.

I find it frustrating that the governor ignores that The Sun is co-owned by influential Black commentator Armstrong Williams, who has given the governor a fair platform to share his message on multiple occasions. Moore’s habit of fleeing to national stages is telling. It reveals his obsession with building a national profile at the expense of governing Maryland.

His inability to find solid support and friendly platforms in his home state stems from a clear pattern of neglect I’ve highlighted repeatedly in this column. Executive dysfunction has produced scandals including sex predators placed in homes with foster children, violent criminals working in the Department of Juvenile Services, 9-year-old children vanishing from state care and struggling teenagers dying alone in Baltimore City hotels. Add in the millions upon millions in wasted and unaccounted-for tax dollars exposed by devastating legislative audits.

Journalists, including those at The Sun and its Spotlight on Maryland media partners, have rightly raised these issues, dug for facts and asked tough questions. No one would fault the administration for pushing back against troubling stories. But the Moore team’s response this time has been unusually aggressive and public.

Normally, pushback stays behind closed doors. Comms staff escalate complaints about “mouthy” communicators up the chain, and senior leadership may quietly attempt to dial down the rhetoric. This time, the governor himself took to a national platform to attack The Sun directly. Many Marylanders are left wondering what changed.

The answer is straightforward. The Moore administration has lost control of its delicately crafted narrative, and that loss is driving a desperate bid to seize it back.

We can only imagine how furious Moore was when a rowdy crowd booed and heckled him at the Orioles game on opening day, tarnishing his once-spotless public image. More damning is last week’s UMBC poll, which shows his approval rating in Maryland dropping precipitously, an unexpected slide in what has long been a sleepy Democratic stronghold.

This attack on The Sun is not a moral stand against perceived bias. It is a panicked response to a political crisis the governor and his team created themselves through sheer arrogance and a deep sense of entitlement. That’s what makes his attacks so concerning: More politicians may see bullying the press as an easy way to suppress inconvenient truths.

Trump uses a version of this playbook himself. When media outlets report facts he dislikes, he dismisses them as left-wing drivel controlled by deep-state Democrats. For any politician unwilling or unable to persuade the public with facts and strong rebuttals, attacking the messenger becomes the path of least resistance.

Moore’s uncharacteristic urgency only confirms what many of us have suspected for years: His ambitions are national, not local. Attacking a major journalistic institution carries real risks, yet he faces no serious primary challenge, and Republicans have an uphill battle in Maryland. This risky gambit signals that his prospects for higher office are evaporating fast. For his team, this is do-or-die.

Marylanders should deliver a clear teachable moment: Baselessly attacking established media outlets carries severe political consequences. Conflict between journalists and those in power is nothing new. It’s the lifeblood of accountability. It’s disappointing that Maryland’s governor has chosen to join the parade of politicians who villainize the press instead of offering factual clarity and intellectual rebuttals.

This episode has exposed Moore’s true priorities. Maryland, take note.

Torrey Snow is a columnist and editorial board contributor at The Baltimore Sun; he can be reached at tsnow@baltsun.com.

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