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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore characterized the deployment of National Guard troops to combat crime as “performative” in an interview that aired Sunday.
Speaking to host Martha Raddatz on ABC’s “This Week,” the Maryland Democrat said: “The National Guard is completely performative because the National Guard is not even trained for it.”
Moore has been critical of President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington and invited him to spend time with him in Baltimore, another city in Trump’s sights. The president has repeatedly mocked Moore.
“The National Guard is not trained for municipal policing,” Moore said to Raddatz. “You know who is trained for municipal policing? Things like local law enforcement, and things like FBI agents and ATF agents.”
Raddatz noted that Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has said the current deployment in her city has reduced crime. Moore said using the National Guard is not a long-term solution to a complicated problem, and that it absorbs funds that could be better spent in other ways.
“Do you know what I would tell him?” Moore said, referring to Trump. “I would tell him things like: We need to make sure we’re increasing funding for local law enforcement. And we have to invest in our community groups and community organizations. Like, that’s a serious approach how to address this issue, but asking me to deploy my National Guard — people who are not trained for municipal policing — is just not a serious approach.”
Raddatz asked Moore why it seemed that he preferred to “fight with the president” rather than work with him.
“I have no interest in fighting with the president,” Moore said, “but I have an interest in fighting for my communities and fighting for our people, and I respect Mayor Bowser, and I’m glad that the trend that she has seen over these past few weeks has continued the downward trend that D.C. has seen over the past year. That’s wonderful.”
But he added: “The idea of introducing the National Guard into every major American city it is, it is not sustainable, particularly when you’re looking at the cost.”
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