Wes Moore Calls Donald Trump-led Redistricting ‘political Redlining’

Wes Moore took his strongest swipe yet at President Donald Trump's efforts to redraw maps to give Republicans an advantage in next year's midterms — by painting the GOP's efforts in explicitly racial terms.

“We were watching the president attempting to gerrymander Black leaders out of office, which, by the way, amounts to nothing more than political redlining,” the Maryland governor said at a Saturday dinner for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the glitzy annual event that attracts the nation’s top Black Democrats. He referenced the discriminatory housing practice that kept Black Americans out of predominantly white neighborhoods by denying them mortgages.

Moore's remarks come as the nation is gripped in a national fight over redrawing maps. Trump has pushed red states to do so, with Texas and Missouri already implementing maps that are designed to topple longtime Black congressional Democrats. Ohio is in the process of passing another gerrymandered map, and other states seem likely to follow. Black Democrats — including Reps. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, Al Green of Texas, Emilia Sykes of Ohio, and Andre Carson of Indiana — all stand to lose their seats if GOP-led redistricting efforts are successful.

But blue states haven't yet jumped into the fray outside of California, which first must get voters to approve the move. Maryland has so far resisted jumping into the fight, even as Democrats hold supermajorities in both legislative chambers and could redraw the state's map to eliminate its only GOP-held seat.

“I want to be very clear and say it loud enough for the people in the back: while these other states are determining whether or not they have fair maps," Moore added. "So will Maryland.”

It was the clearest sign yet that Moore is readying to jump into the redistricting battle. Moore — who denies he’s eyeing a 2028 White House bid despite making moves to raise his national profile — spoke after former Vice President Kamala Harris, who also volleyed attacks at Trump.

Coming off a stinging loss to Trump less than a year ago, Harris characterized her former opponent as an “unhinged” commander in chief with a “fragile ego.” She made a point to emphasize how his administration sought to get late night host Jimmy Kimmel fired. But his parent company Disney relented after a campaign to cancel Hulu and Disney + subscriptions over Kimmel's suspension, and the company returned him to air on Tuesday.

“Those folks spoke with their pocket books and Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air," she said.

Speaking in her first prepared remarks since the release of her political memoir, “107 Days,” she warned the audience that Trump’s return to the White House ushered in “an unprecedented, but not unfamiliar threat.”

She also suggested that Trump relishes at “deploying the United States military to the streets of America,” a nod to the National Guard troops presence in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser also gave remarks at the dinner, and said to applause that, “The real D.C. is safe, beautiful and strong.”

The more immediate dilemma for Democrats is whether they can remain unified as the federal government barrels toward a potential shutdown at midnight on Sept. 30. Earlier this year, the base was infuriated when some Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, sided with Republicans and provided the votes to keep the government open, a move many in the party saw as capitulation to Trump.

“We will meet with anyone at any time and at any place to try to reach a spending agreement that actually meets the needs of our community and the American people,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries at the dinner.

Just before Jeffries spoke, POLITICO reported that top congressional leaders plan to meet with the president on Monday afternoon — less than 48 hours before funding runs out.”

Democratic leaders are demanding that Republicans agree to address the expiring health care subsidies that will impact an estimated 20 million Americans by the end of the year.

For now, Jeffries appeared to be sticking with his demands.

"We will not support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people,” he added.