Episode summary
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on midterms: The American people are exhausted by broken promises
Summary
Wes Moore said the midterm results reflected voter fatigue with higher costs, broken promises and what he called corruption in Washington. He argued that Americans were not asking for abstract partisan warfare; they wanted leaders who would move quickly on practical relief, protect health care, and make life easier. Moore said Democrats should become “a party of yes,” adopt a “100 hour agenda,” and focus on issues such as tariffs, health coverage and other kitchen-table pressures.
He also framed the election as a warning shot for both parties about where they invest and what kinds of candidates they elevate. Moore said Democrats have neglected the South for generations and need to rethink their assumptions about geography and turnout. He described himself as a capitalist, but said “crony capitalism” and the influence of billions of dollars in politics are distorting government. On bipartisan cooperation, he pointed to immigration reform and permitting reform as areas where governors already see common ground, including stronger border control, pathways for long-settled immigrants, and faster approvals for economic development.
Key takeaways
- Moore said voters were “exhausted on the broken promises” and reacting to higher costs, health-care insecurity and Washington corruption.
- He urged Democrats to stop being “a party of no” and instead pursue a “100 hour agenda” on tariffs, health care and affordability.
- Moore said bipartisan deals are still possible on comprehensive immigration reform and permitting reform.
- He argued that Democrats have neglected the South for generations and need a broader map for investing in candidates.
- Moore said the real problem is not wealth itself but “crony capitalism” and the amount of money flowing into politics.
Notable quotes
“THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE ASKING US NOT TO CHOOSE. I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SAYING WE WANT ACCOUNTABILITY”
“THEY HAVE REALLY GOT TO NOT BE A PARTY OF NO AND SLOW AND START BEING A PARTY OF YES”
“I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A 100 HOUR AGENDA, NOT A 100 DAY AGENDA, 100 HOUR AGENDA”
How the episode opens
Know how he may not use the veto, but he certainly has the ability to do it. — Okay. Meantime, the associated press projecting our next guest has won reelection to lead the state of maryland. Joining us right now is maryland governor Wes Moore. You're already being talked about for 2028. Congratulations to you. It's nice to see you this morning.
Great to see you. Good morning. — To the extent that you can extrapolate your own win, but maybe the broader blue wave, what is your sense of what do you think has just happened here? Is this a referendum on the trump administration? Is it a referendum on something else?
Well, I think what the american people showed is just they're exhausted. You know, they're they're they're exhausted on the on the broken promises. They're exhausted on the fact that that, that everything is more expensive.
Even though they were told that everything would be cheaper. They're exhausted about the fact that, you know, we have a president who says he wants peace through strength, but what the american people are looking for is they want peace through strength. But what people are looking for is strength through peace that we are watching how corruption just continues to run rampant in washington, d.c.
While everyone else's life is just getting harder. And so I think you're seeing that people wanted leaders who are ready to disrupt the status quo and who are ready to just change the direction from what people are seeing and feeling in their lives right now.
You mentioned this idea of corruption. We've talked a lot on this show about if, in fact, there was a democratic sweep, what kind of investigations and congressional hearings we would likely to see, and also whether that could go too far.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- midterm elections
- democratic party
- broken promises
- american voter sentiment
- 2028 ambitions
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Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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