Maryland Gov. Wes Moore criticized President Trump's deployment of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.
NEW YORK -- For Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, the conflict in Iran under President Trump is personal.
Moore, a Democrat, served in Afghanistan as an officer in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division -- the same unit that was deployed by Trump late last month to the Middle East to support operations in Iran. The combat unit serves as the Army's emergency-response force and can be deployed anywhere in the world in under 24 hours.
"This is one of the best fighting units that the world has ever created," Moore said in an interview. "Our unit can do anything. We just shouldn't do everything. And I think that's the issue that I have."
"They're getting orders without a mission," he added. "If they're wondering why this war is not popular, how about you start with the fact that no one even understands what we're doing."
Moore's military service was front and center as he addressed hundreds of Black activists from across the country at a four-day convention in New York City of the National Action Network, a civil-rights group led by the Rev. Al Sharpton. The convention, which took place with the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East, has become one of the largest gatherings yet of possible 2028 presidential candidates in the Democratic Party. It offered a glimpse into potential pitches from contenders and their level of support among Black activists.
Moore, once a political outsider who has become the country's only Black governor, brought cheering attendees to their feet several times during his remarks, with shouts of "Thank you for your service" or "Run, Wes, Run."
As Democrats seek a path forward after their loss in the 2024 presidential election, the party has found some success in candidates with a national-security background, including Abigail Spanberger, a former Central Intelligence Agency officer who won the governor's race in Virginia, and Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy pilot, who was elected governor of New Jersey.
In his remarks, Moore connected the impact of costly wars to the lack of investment in the U.S., bringing up his experience in the war in Afghanistan, which he said cost $2 trillion over 20 years, only to result in the Taliban's running the country once again.
"My fear is that we're walking into the same trap, and that the president and the vice president are blindly allowing us to do that, and they're doing it in our name and with our money," he said.
The argument is similar to one Trump made on the campaign trail as he railed against "forever wars." Now, Democrats are using it against him.
Several attendees at the gathering said they previously knew little of Moore's background and were unsure about whom they might support in a primary. Many pointed to his military service as a draw.
"It would be a plus," said Cheryl Eliano, a former federal worker from the Fort Hood area in Texas. "He's a doer."
The governor has faced allegations of embellishing his military record. He said around two years ago that he "made an honest mistake" for including in a White House fellowship application in 2006 that he had received the Bronze Star Medal when he had only been recommended for it at the time. Moore received a Bronze Star in December 2024.
On Thursday, Moore stressed his record of investment in combating childhood poverty and violent crime in his state. He mentioned his pardon of 175,000 state convictions related to low-level marijuana conviction; though he later said in the interview that he would be willing to give up his pardon powers.
"I'm very proud of how I use the pardons, but if it's going to be used how Donald Trump is using it, I would take it from all of us," he said.
Trump is relying on an informal fast track for presidential pardons, which has helped some with political connections or financial means, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
The governor also said his party needs to focus more on men and boys -- not just politically to win back young men who voted for Trump, but also on policies related to education, mental health and employment. "There is a real problem that we're having with men in our society," he said.
Black voters have played a crucial role in deciding the party's nominee in presidential primaries. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to address the convention Friday, is still considering another White House run in part because of her strong support among Black voters.
Harris still has the highest support among Black voters, according to a March survey by the Center Square Voters' Voice Poll.
Asked if he was going to mount a presidential bid, Moore, who is up for re-election in November, didn't rule out a run for the White House but said Democrats needed to be focused on the coming midterms.
"Show me something now," he said. "Show me you're a winter soldier and not a summer soldier, and then we can have a conversation."
While in New York, Moore met with donors and content creators and raised money for his re-election bid.
Other Democratic potential presidential contenders including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and Rep. Ro Khanna spoke at the convention. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear are expected to attend later this week. Gallego and Buttigieg have military backgrounds.
Gallego, in his remarks at the convention, mentioned his military service in criticizing Trump's immigration enforcement, saying agents in Chicago were patrolling the streets "the same way that I was patrolling in Iraq." Gallego added: "Why are you doing this to Americans?"
The Rev. Jerome Fordham of the Philadelphia area, who attended the convention, said it is too early to have any favorites in the presidential primary. "I need somebody who can win and make a difference," he said, adding that he will have a better idea of whom to support once he hears plans for driving change.
"If you're hungry and someone is preparing a meal, you can start smelling the aroma from a distance," he said.