Maryland Guv Wes Moore slams Trump as a 'chicken hawk' for deploying National Guard to tackle DC crime

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND: Maryland Governor Wes Moore took a jibe at President Donald Trump on Thursday, August 14, in the latest back-and-forth over the president’s efforts to crack down on crime in Washington, DC, by deploying National Guard and asserting command over local police.

Moore, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, has leaned on his military background to criticize Trump’s decision to send troops to the nation’s capital.

Wes Moore says he doesn’t 'listen to criticism from chicken hawks'

Wes Moore told radio station WTOP, “I don’t listen to criticism from chicken hawks, people who talk tough and try to utilize people in uniform but have never had the courage to wear the uniform themselves.”

He also told CNN earlier this week, “This decision is being made by people who, frankly, have never worn the uniform themselves. There’s a lack of seriousness going into the decision-making process about what you are doing and how you are impacting the lives of these men and women and their families.”

Moore’s criticism caught Trump’s attention, and the president mocked the Maryland Governor on Thursday from the Oval Office.

“They say maybe he’ll be a president — he’s not presidential temper at all,” Trump said of Moore, who is reportedly eyeing a run in 2028.

Trump added, “I heard him today talking about how the National Guard or the military is not trained in police. But they’re trained in common sense, and they’re not allowing people to burn down buildings and bomb buildings and cheat people.”

On Monday, August 11, Trump also suggested he could extend his takeover efforts to other Democratic-led cities, including Baltimore. Many have viewed his moves in DC as a test case.

Earlier this summer, Trump tried to assert similar control in Los Angeles when he seized command of the state’s National Guard to quell protests over immigration enforcement. However, a judge is currently weighing the legality of bypassing the governor, who typically commands a state’s National Guard.

National Guard troops appear on DC's streets

US National Guard troops began appearing on the streets of Washington, DC, earlier this week after Trump deployed them to the city and took control of its police force, arguing violent crime was out of control.

Armored vehicles were seen at urban centers and tourist sites around the US capital on Tuesday, August 12.

Officials said that 800 National Guard troops and 500 federal law enforcement agents are expected to be deployed.

Meanwhile, Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, denied that crime is spiraling out of control in the city and described the troop deployment as an “authoritarian push.”

Trump has also threatened similar deployments in New York and Chicago, two other Democrat-led cities. He has argued that crime is rising in all three cities, including Washington, DC.