Latest news with #InstituteforPublicLeadership
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
George Clooney's pick to be the next Democrat presidential candidate makes surprising announcement
George Clooney 's pick to be the next Democratic presidential nominee stunningly announced he is not running for the nation's highest office. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore appeared on ABC's The View on Thursday when liberal co-host Joy Behar repeatedly pressed the Democrat on his plans for 2028. 'I am not running,' he reiterated about five times, even as Behar asked, 'What if we really, really need you?' Instead, Moore, 46, insisted that Maryland is his priority - and he hopes to win re-election as the governor next year. Moore has led the state since 2023 and has done 'a pretty bang up job' in the state, liberal co-host Sunny Hostin said on the show. The governor has long been considered a potential standard-bearer for the nation's next president, and earlier this month, Clooney told CNN he thinks Moore 'in particular... is spectacular' to lead the Democrats moving forward. 'I think he is a guy that handled this tragedy in Baltimore beautifully,' the Oscar-winner said of Baltimore's Key Bridge collapse in early 2024. 'He's two tours of active duty in Afghanistan. He speaks sort of beautifully, he's smart. He's a proper leader,' he added of Moore. 'I like him a lot, I think he's someone we could all fall in behind,' Clooney added. John Ronquillo, the director of the Institute for Public Leadership and a professor at the University of Maryland, has also suggested Moore could be the 'next Obama' - rising rapidly through the political ranks to ascend to the White House. 'While I want to be careful with comparisons — Barack Obama is Barack Obama and Wes Moore is Wes Moore — there's no denying that they've both had a meteoric ascent to political prominence,' Ronquillo told The Hill newspaper. Obama endorsed Moore's bid for governor and cut a campaign ad for him. But Moore is not the only potential Democrat leader. Other names that have been floated include Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. None of them have yet announced their intention to run in the presidential election, with two years to go before the primaries. Regardless, Clooney warned Jake Tapper: 'We have to find someone rather soon.' And even though Moore made clear on Thursday he does not want to run for president, he had some strong words for the current White House occupant. He hit out President Donald Trump's tariff policy as causing 'chaos' in his interview on The View. 'I think this is a powerful moment because people are seeing the power of the president and the power of Washington, but I think what people are also seeing is what's the power of the governor, what's the power of the states, what's the power of the people,' the Maryland Democrat said. Moore added that he 'will work with anyone who has the people of my state in their best interest,' but added, 'I will bow to no one.'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wes Moore's star is rising as Democrats look for a comeback
When Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) took the stage at the annual Gridiron Club dinner on Saturday night, he mockingly made mention of the thing Democrats have been buzzing about for months: his presidential ambitions. 'If I actually wanted to be president, I wouldn't do any of this,' Moore said. 'Instead I would take my case directly to the people who are in charge of our democracy. The Kremlin.' The comment, made at a dinner where the motto is 'singe not burn' and journalists mingle with lawmakers from both parties, got a rousing reaction from Democrats. Moore's political prospects have only gained steam in the party in recent months, as Democrats desperately try to find someone to lead them out of the wilderness, to save them. Lately, the 46-year-old's name is among the first to come up in conversation. 'Wes Moore is the Captain America of Democratic politics,' said Jamal Simmons, a prominent party strategist who worked for former Vice President Kamala Harris. 'He's a veteran, an athlete and a Rhodes Scholar who still connects with everyday people. 'He's the best of us but doesn't act like he's better than any of us,' Simmons said. As they seek to rebuild — and in some ways, reinvent — their party, Democrats have been testing the waters on a number of potential candidates for 2028. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now a mayoral candidate for New York City, are admired for their bullishness. Democrats find Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro interesting for their appeal in the swingiest of swing states. Moore, many Democrats think, is worthy of the spotlight because of his authenticity and his appeal to a wide swath of voters. 'Look at his Instagram,' one Democratic strategist said. 'He is us.' There he is throwing his hands in the air, spinning around, and rooting for the Baltimore Ravens. In another frame he's wishing his mom a happy birthday. And then there are the reels of his workouts and the images of Moore — a former wide receiver — playing football with the University of Maryland football team. John Ronquillo, the director of the Institute for Public Leadership and a professor at the University of Maryland, said Moore has 'given us a master class on how to draw attention to oneself.' 'I can't think of another governor of Maryland who has gotten so much attention,' Ronquillo said. 'He's crafting an image of someone who has an interesting story to tell.' In some ways, Ronquillo said, Moore is reminiscent of another young upstart who came out of nowhere, quickly rose through the ranks and inevitably ended up in the White House: Barack Obama. 'While I want to be careful with comparisons — Barack Obama is Barack Obama and Wes Moore is Wes Moore — there's no denying that they've both had a meteoric ascent to political prominence,' Ronquillo said. 'They've been outside disruptors that have skillfully permeated the Democratic establishment. They've both turned heads with a confident demeanor evoking a calm amidst a storm that says, 'I've got this.'' But that part also gives Democrats some pause. 'We're always in search of the next Barack Obama, and on the surface I wonder if we're pinning all our hopes and dreams on this guy because he looks good on paper,' the Democratic strategist said. 'I'm a little skeptical.' Moore has sought to step up in the early weeks of the Trump administration, at a time when Democrats are begging the party's leadership to take an active role in opposing the president. After a meeting at the White House last month, Moore quickly landed upon the decision that not only could he not work with President Trump, he said Maryland and other states have to rally to oppose layoffs and other decisions imposed by Trump. 'I come back from Washington with no illusion about what kind of partnership that this administration is trying to forge with our nation's governors,' Moore told reporters, according to the news site Maryland Matters. 'And … with a clear understanding that if this first month is any indication of where things are going, we as lawmakers had better take this moment seriously and make sure that we're moving forward.' Maryland was also one of 20 states that decided to legally challenge the Trump administration on the dismissal of 1,300 workers at the Department of Education, and Moore opposed the administration's implementation of tariffs. 'Tariffs are a tool. They're not an ideology, but this administration is using it like an ideology,' Moore said on CBS's 'Face the Nation' earlier this week. 'The decisions are being made — made not with us, they're being made to us.' At the Gridiron dinner, as Democrats continued to whisper about his future prospects, Moore made several attempts to speak about his rising-star status within his party — with good humor. 'In the middle of the chaos, people are asking if I will be the new leader of the resistance,' he began. 'My answer is always the same: That job is filled. And I wanna thank Sen. Mitch McConnell for fighting the good fight.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
20-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Wes Moore's star is rising as Democrats look for a comeback
When Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) took the stage at the annual Gridiron Club dinner on Saturday night, he mockingly made mention of the thing Democrats have been buzzing about for months: his presidential ambitions. 'If I actually wanted to be president, I wouldn't do any of this,' Moore said. 'Instead I would take my case directly to the people who are in charge of our democracy. The Kremlin.' The comment, made at a dinner where the motto is 'singe not burn' and journalists mingle with lawmakers from both parties, got a rousing reaction from Democrats. Moore's political prospects have only gained steam in the party in recent months, as Democrats desperately try to find someone to lead them out of the wilderness, to save them. Lately, the 46-year-old's name is among the first to come up in conversation. 'Wes Moore is the Captain America of Democratic politics,' said Jamal Simmons, a prominent party strategist who worked for former Vice President Kamala Harris. 'He's a veteran, an athlete and a Rhodes Scholar who still connects with everyday people. 'He's the best of us but doesn't act like he's better than any of us,' Simmons said. As they seek to rebuild — and in some ways, reinvent — their party, Democrats have been testing the waters on a number of potential candidates for 2028. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now a mayoral candidate for New York City, are admired for their bullishness. Democrats find Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro interesting for their appeal in the swingiest of swing states. Moore, many Democrats think, is worthy of the spotlight because of his authenticity and his appeal to a wide swath of voters. 'Look at his Instagram,' one Democratic strategist said. 'He is us.' There he is throwing his hands in the air, spinning around, and rooting for the Baltimore Ravens. In another frame he's wishing his mom a happy birthday. And then there are the reels of his workouts and the images of Moore — a former wide receiver — playing football with the University of Maryland football team. John Ronquillo, the director of the Institute for Public Leadership and a professor at the University of Maryland, said Moore has 'given us a master class on how to draw attention to oneself.' 'I can't think of another governor of Maryland who has gotten so much attention,' Ronquillo said. 'He's crafting an image of someone who has an interesting story to tell.' In some ways, Ronquillo said, Moore is reminiscent of another young upstart who came out of nowhere, quickly rose through the ranks and inevitably ended up in the White House: Barack Obama. 'While I want to be careful with comparisons — Barack Obama is Barack Obama and Wes Moore is Wes Moore — there's no denying that they've both had a meteoric ascent to political prominence,' Ronquillo said. 'They've been outside disruptors that have skillfully permeated the Democratic establishment. They've both turned heads with a confident demeanor evoking a calm amidst a storm that says, 'I've got this.'' But that part also gives Democrats some pause. 'We're always in search of the next Barack Obama, and on the surface I wonder if we're pinning all our hopes and dreams on this guy because he looks good on paper,' the Democratic strategist said. 'I'm a little skeptical.' Moore has sought to step up in the early weeks of the Trump administration, at a time when Democrats are begging the party's leadership to take an active role in opposing the president. After a meeting at the White House last month, Moore quickly landed upon the decision that not only could he not work with President Trump, he said Maryland and other states have to rally to oppose layoffs and other decisions imposed by Trump. 'I come back from Washington with no illusion about what kind of partnership that this administration is trying to forge with our nation's governors,' Moore told reporters, according to the news site Maryland Matters. 'And … with a clear understanding that if this first month is any indication of where things are going, we as lawmakers had better take this moment seriously and make sure that we're moving forward.' Maryland was also one of 20 states that decided to legally challenge the Trump administration on the dismissal of 1,300 workers at the Department of Education, and Moore opposed the administration's implementation of tariffs. 'Tariffs are a tool. They're not an ideology, but this administration is using it like an ideology,' Moore said on CBS's 'Face the Nation' earlier this week. 'The decisions are being made — made not with us, they're being made to us.' At the Gridiron dinner, as Democrats continued to whisper about his future prospects, Moore made several attempts to speak about his rising-star status within his party — with good humor. 'In the middle of the chaos, people are asking if I will be the new leader of the resistance,' he began. 'My answer is always the same: That job is filled. And I wanna thank Sen. Mitch McConnell for fighting the good fight.'
