BALTIMORE — In a moment of rising threats and sharpened rhetoric, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says political leaders have a duty to reject dehumanizing language and model peaceful engagement.

Moore talked about drawing clear lines against violence while protecting First Amendment rights, how leaders should disagree without wishing harm, why AI-driven smear campaigns demand a response, and how his faith and record shape his approach to lowering the temperature and keeping public events safe.

The Baltimore Sun’s Thursday Q&A with the governor came minutes after Maryland’s Democratic House and Senate leaders reported bomb threats at their Baltimore County homes and a few hours before the Naval Academy was on lockdown after a shooting. The interview is edited for length and clarity.

As a combat veteran and now governor, how do you see your responsibility to speak out against political violence?

Words matter. Language matters, and you can vehemently disagree with somebody, but never wish harm upon them. You can really disagree with their political position, but still hope they would make it home to their family… It’s just important for all of us as we take a moment to remember that your words are followed and they have power.

In your statement last night, you called for resolving political differences peacefully. What does that look like when it comes to you and President Trump?

The president and I have very distinct differences on policy issues. We have very distinct disagreements on what our communities need, and I sincerely hope and would encourage the president to listen to local leadership…But I have never and would never call for harm to be done to him. That’s the kind of example that I think we would hope for. I want people to be able to make their voices heard. It’s important for people to remember that the most important amendment that the Founding Fathers found was First, and the things they put up first were things like freedom of assembly and freedom of the press and freedom of speech. Never should that delve into hoping that your fellow citizens are harmed.

How do you think political rhetoric contributes to political violence? What can you do to encourage more responsible speech without infringing on the freedom of speech?

The language matters and words matter because words influence actions, and actions can be harmful if they are fueled by hate…You know, as someone who has seen consequences of violence up close, the goal of (our language) should never be that people are physically harmed. You can stand on your values without (harm), mistruths and misinformation. That’s how political discourse should be won or lost.

You and your top communications staff have been targeted by the shadowy No Moore account. Bomb threats were recently reported by Maryland’s Democratic House and Senate leaders. What concerns do you have about you and your staff being targeted during these politically charged times?

When you have these shadowy, racist groups that spend their time, energy and their resources, spouting not just mixed truths, but racist-tinged language, you know, it’s deeply unfortunate, and it’s deeply un-American. We have an obligation to speak out against it. We have an obligation to push back against it. And I think the thing that has made our country unique is not just the ability to measure free speech, but it’s also to push back against hate speech. And it’s a push back against racist and misogynistic and xenophobic rhetoric that we think is also just harmful to the people of our state and the people of our country.

Have you received any bomb threats today?

I’m not going to disclose that.

Moore’s communications director David Turner added that it’s not something they can talk about because of “security protocol reasons.”

The No Moore account frequently uses artificial intelligence. Democrat Gavin Newsom’s accounts also use AI when he’s targeting President Trump. There’s a bipartisan use of AI, and it makes it easier and faster to be meaner. What concerns do you have about the use of AI in campaigning and would you support any state bills to regulate or restrict its use?

I think the community and the people of the state understand the danger of these shadowy, dark-money, racist platforms like No Moore. But I do think it does help to underscore a larger point that in this new world, that it is important that we get ahead of it. I believe that AI can play an important role in our larger societal growth. I believe that when it comes to innovations in healthcare and innovations in education, AI can play a key role in our growth. But I also do think that when it is being used for nefarious purposes and being used by dark money and racist characters…that there needs to be a better understanding of the dangers that it does in society.

You also called for a bold commitment to greater unity and peace. If that starts at the top, what does it look like for you?

When I came on board, I said that political affiliation was not something that drove me. You know, I don’t come from that world. When I was a soldier in Afghanistan, I never once asked my soldiers, ‘What’s your political party?’ When I was running one of the largest poverty-fighting organizations in this country…I never once asked any of the people I worked with, ‘How’d you vote in the last election?’ It just didn’t matter. We had a mission. We had a job to do and we worked together to do it. And that’s fundamentally how I’ve tried to lead our administration, where I’m proud of the fact that the vast majority of every piece of legislation that we’ve introduced has been passed with bipartisan support. I actively go out to every part of the state…Some of the hardest fights that we have had have not been for fighting for urban parts of the state, but have been fighting for rural parts of the state, making sure that they’re seen and respected and lifted up. So I try to lead by example when I say that we need to change our discourse, that we need to be able to fight for each other. And if you’re a Marylander, no matter where you call home, no matter what you look like, no matter what your family lineage is that you deserve to have officials that are fighting for you.

Some members of Congress and universities across the country are rethinking their plans and moderating outdoor events in light of this development. Should changes be made during Maryland events?

Well, I believe in the First Amendment…and I think it’s on all of us to make sure that all of those events are safe, that people have a chance to congregate in a safe manner. Do we want to be able to let people win by saying we’re not going to be able to gather…we’re not going to be able to share ideas? Absolutely not. I don’t believe in letting the terroristic few impose on the hopes of many. But I do think it does become important for us to be very clear about the safety of people as we’re gathering.

How does your faith guide you as governor, and how do you have faith — not fear — as political leaders are targeted?

I’m a person of peace, and I’m a person that believes that the Lord orders our steps, and that God is the highest of the highs and the king of kings and lord of lords. I know that the protection that prayer gives us is one that is real, and it’s something that I have felt for my entire life, and it has guided me for my entire life. I do believe that, as scripture said, ‘No weapon formed against me shall prosper.’ …In this world where these deeply inhumane acts that these people are taking — that someone who will choose to take the life of an elected official or an election judge or a neighbor because you disagree with the political position — these are deeply demonic ideals that people are taking on, and so I do think it’s going to require not just a measure of faith, but a measure of courage for us to be able to navigate.

As our political discourse deteriorates, it has become more lucrative to be mean. The most viral moments are often the most hateful ones. Bombastic language and conflict typically boost campaign fundraising. How do we tone down the rhetoric while there’s a financial incentive to ramp up divisions?

I think we need to financially incentivize those who are introducing light and disincentivize those who are introducing hate. Unfortunately…it’s the most bombastic and it’s the most outlandish who end up in newspapers and on cable news talk shows because it becomes clickbait, and those who are trying to introduce light are oftentimes the ones who find themselves quickly moved off of pages or moved off of shows. There has to be a better way of having humane, honest and truthful, but also very supportive conversations, with each other. I just believe that the issues that we are debating are too serious for us to allow non-serious people to be able to dominate the airwaves.

Some conservative podcasters have called this a “war.” As a leading Democrat, do you feel your party is at war with Republicans? Has your party made any missteps, and is there anything you think your party should do differently?

I’ve been to war. I know what war looks like, and I pray to God that’s not where we’re at. I pray to God that’s not what we’re seeing. War is horrific and war is bloody and war is unforgiving, and I know that firsthand, and I will never concede that we are a country at war with itself. I will never concede that this incredible American experiment has failed, and I’ll never concede that my fellow Americans or my fellow Marylanders are my enemies. We are not enemies. And, in fact, I think anyone who espouses that both does not understand the gravity of war, and frankly, they don’t deserve the microphone that they’re hanging onto.

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