Last week, the nation’s Democratic governors met with President Joe Biden as he sought to reassure them that his candidacy remained viable after a debate that has imperiled his reelection bid.
It was one of the most critical moments in Biden’s decades-long political career, as he rallied support for a campaign that several Democratic lawmakers and a sizable bloc of voters believe he should forgo in favor of another candidate.
But for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who was at the White House meeting, his decision is clear. He told Business Insider that he’s standing with Biden.
However, Moore was also blunt in assessing his view of Biden’s debate performance against former President Donald Trump.
“It was a terrible performance and I don’t think you can sugarcoat it,” the first-term governor said. “The problem is it was hard to watch.”
Moore, a former US Army paratrooper who often relies on his military training in tough situations, said the next step was to “move on” and figure out how to help Biden.
“I remember when in the military, there’s only three answers for something. Yes, no, or no excuse,” he continued. “Everything else is a waste of time. And I think the answer to this is no excuse.”
The governor, who was first elected in 2022, said that Biden has been a strong partner for Maryland.
So he’s returning the favor.
Moore said he doesn’t do ‘disloyalty’
At the governor’s meeting, Moore said Biden laid out a strategy for the final months of his campaign.
“The thing that we left with was that there’s not only the plan, but also that there’s the focus and the commitment and the energy,” Moore said of the sentiment among the governors.
“And I was clear, I don’t do disloyalty,” he continued. “This is an administration that has been with us when we were knocked down, which I saw when I received a call from them when we were mobilizing units to respond to the Key Bridge crisis.
Moore is referencing the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March, which occurred after the container vessel Dali struck the bridge and sent it into the Patapsco River. Tragically, six construction workers lost their lives as they worked to repair potholes on the bridge.
The governor has worked with the Biden administration extensively following the bridge’s collapse. And it’s a relationship that he deeply values as the administration works to secure full federal funding for the bridge’s replacement.
However, regarding the presidential race, there is no consensus regarding Biden’s candidacy among the Democratic base.
Among the Democratic voters who put Biden in office four years ago and overwhelmingly supported him during the most recent Democratic presidential primaries, a significant share of them harbor reservations about him running for a second term.
In Moore’s eyes, Biden has to be visible and present to reassure them.
“I think he’s got to be out there,” the governor said. “I think he’s got to keep doing what he’s doing right now. He’s got to show people in unscripted moments that the agility that this job requires and the stability that this job requires … that he’s best prepared to do that.”
“One thing I know about elections is nothing is given and everything is earned,” he continued. “You’ve got to win by being the most aggressive, thoughtful, and visionary campaigner out there, and you need to have people who buy your vision. So I think the president cannot take anything for granted.”
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