(CNN) 鈥� Maryland Gov. Wes Moore appears to be everywhere at the moment 鈥� popping up on 鈥淭he View,鈥� delivering a commencement address at a historically Black university in battleground Pennsylvania and, later this month, delivering an address to South Carolina Democrats, who could be pivotal in determining the Democratic Party鈥檚 nominee in 2028.
The rising star is part of a chorus of Democratic leaders putting forward a vision for how the party should take on as the president plows ahead with his second-term agenda.
鈥淲e need to be a country that really gets to know each other again and works together and serves together,鈥� Moore told CNN in an interview following his Sunday commencement address at Lincoln University, where he emphasized bringing Americans from different political ideologies together through a shared commitment to service.
That cheerful outlook comes at a time of deep dissatisfaction among Democrats with the state of the party鈥檚 leadership and approach to countering Trump. A found that just 38% of Democratic-aligned Americans approve of their party鈥檚 leadership, compared with 61% who say they disapprove.
Moore 鈥� Maryland鈥檚 first Black governor and just the third Black person elected governor of any state 鈥� seemed uninterested in attacking fellow Democratic leaders directly, but acknowledged the widespread anger among the party鈥檚 voters.
鈥淚 think a lot of the frustration is justified. I get it. I don鈥檛 see how you can look at the situation that many people exist in, and think that everything is OK,鈥� he said.
Moore suggested the best way out for Democrats is to lean into what he describes as a 鈥渃ulture of repair鈥� to connect with people who have felt left behind by the status quo. But his vision for moving everyone forward includes a host of policy prescriptions that are arguably easier to advance in a Democratic-controlled state than one with divided government. For instance, he championed Maryland鈥檚 accelerated minimum-wage increase, investments in apprenticeship programs, mass pardons for cannabis convictions and increased taxes on the wealthy as responsive to the moment.
In his commencement address, Moore leaned into a sense of national pride, a message that is not a point of emphasis for many Democrats.
The combat veteran told graduating seniors that 鈥減atriotism is a responsibility of a lifetime鈥� as he recounted the legacy of his grandfather, the Rev. James Thomas, a Lincoln University alum. Thomas was forced to leave the US as a child when Moore鈥檚 great-grandfather, a vocal community minister, fled with the family to his native Jamaica to escape the violence of the Ku Klux Klan.
鈥淲ithin my grandfather鈥榮 journey, you find lessons about not just national pride or national spirit, but lessons about what it means to be an American,鈥� Moore said.
Moore鈥檚 grandfather ultimately returned to the US out of a belief the country 鈥渨ould be incomplete鈥� without him.
鈥淟oving your country doesn鈥檛 mean lying about its history,鈥� Moore said in his address.
鈥淥ur country is currently divided into two camps, not left versus right or red versus blue, but between those who use patriotism as a club to beat others and those who feel ashamed to bear the flag, between those who think loving America means hating half the people in it and those who allow cynicism about our nation鈥檚 history to obscure their aspirations.鈥�
Across the country, leading Democrats are signaling different strategies for how to respond to the Trump administration鈥檚 actions. Some, , are positioning themselves as fighters 鈥� fiercely opposing Trump鈥檚 moves and calling on the Democratic Party to do more. Others have shown an openness to work with the president to find common ground, , who recently secured a new fighter jet mission for an Air National Guard base in her state.
When asked by CNN whether Moore saw room to work with the White House, he cast doubt on the idea that the president and his allies are willing partners.
鈥淲hile I will work with anyone, I will not bow down to anyone. We鈥檙e not built that way,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 believe partnership has to go both ways. And the thing that we continue to see from this administration has just been an all-out assault on the state of Maryland,鈥� Moore said before lamenting the in the state impacted by what he sees as the haphazard cuts in the president鈥榮 first 100 days.
While Moore faces reelection next year in Maryland, talk has already turned to a potential 2028 run for the 46-year-old governor.
During an appearance on ABC鈥檚 鈥淭he View鈥� last week, Moore repeatedly said, 鈥淚鈥檓 not running鈥� when asked about a presidential bid in the next cycle.
Pressed on whether that meant he was ruling out launching a campaign in 2028, Moore said his focus 鈥渋s exclusively on making sure this is going to be Maryland鈥檚 decade.鈥�
鈥淚 think anybody who is positioning themselves in 2025 for 2028 is not taking 2025 seriously,鈥� he said.
Later this month, Moore will travel to the key early primary state of South Carolina to headline a dinner for the state Democratic Party. In his remarks, Moore is expected to emphasize the significance of strong leadership, according to an early excerpt of prepared remarks provided to CNN.
鈥淚n this moment, our job is not to simply go into hiding until there鈥檚 another election. The measure of our success will be how we choose to lead,鈥� Moore is expected to say.
The-CNN-Wire
鈩� & 漏 2025 Cable 91欧美激情 Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
