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Moore Claims Maryland Embraced "DOGE" Governance Before Trump’s Return, Sparks Debate
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, has asserted that his administration began implementing principles of what he terms "DOGE-type governance" shortly after taking office in 2023, predating the anticipated second term of former Republican President Donald Trump by two years. This claim, made amidst ongoing discussions about the state’s fiscal health and a substantial budget deficit, has ignited debate and drawn scrutiny from both sides of the political aisle.
Moore, often mentioned as a potential presidential contender in 2028, though he publicly downplays such speculation to focus on a potential second term as governor, recently engaged in a conversation with Semafor editor Ben Smith, addressing potential parallels between his administrative approach and that of the Trump administration. The discussion centered around tackling bureaucratic inefficiencies and addressing Maryland’s challenging $3 billion budget deficit, a problem for which Republicans and Democrats currently lay blame on each other.
"I come from the business world. And I do believe that in this moment we have to think about what type of [public] workforce is necessary and required," Moore stated, highlighting the significant number of vacancies, approximately 10,000, within state government upon his arrival. He further noted that these vacancies contributed to the impairment of many "basic functions."
While some politicians might advocate for immediately filling those empty positions, Moore viewed it as an opportunity to "right-size" the government and eliminate wasteful spending. "One of the first hires I made was a chief performance officer. We’ve been doing DOGE in Maryland long before anyone knew what that word was," he declared, alluding to efforts aimed at streamlining operations and improving efficiency.
It is important to note that the term "DOGE" as used in this context is a reference to a Trumpian philosophy of governing with the intention of cutting back on government waste.
The Moore administration, in earlier statements to Fox News Digital, emphasized its willingness to collaborate with the Trump administration where possible, while also underscoring its commitment to safeguarding the interests of Maryland residents, particularly given the potential for disproportionate impact on the state from federal workforce reductions spurred by the Trump agenda.
Governor Moore’s administration had even contracted with an Irish consulting mega-firm to act as a liaison with the White House, located a mere 35 miles away. A spokesman for Moore defended the move, stating, "Where there is common ground to be found, he will find it," refuting suggestions that the contract signaled an adversarial relationship with the incoming Trump administration.
Moore pointed out the inherent interconnectedness between Maryland and the federal government, stating, "When the country catches a cold, the DMV [DC-MD-VA] catches pneumonia." He highlighted that his proposed 2025 budget is smaller than the 2024 budget, pushing back on claims made by his predecessor, Republican Governor Larry Hogan Jr., who asserted that he left Moore with a substantial surplus that has since been squandered, leading to the current $3 billion deficit.
Hogan, in a social media post, claimed to have bequeathed a $5 billion surplus to Moore and expressed hope that it wouldn’t be mismanaged. Moore, however, contends that a portion of this "surplus" was miscategorized as leftover COVID-19 relief funds, which he argues are not structural in nature and should not be counted as ongoing revenue.
Moreover, Hogan presented a series of budget recommendations at the end of his term, intended for the incoming administration. Democrats in Annapolis, however, dismissed these recommendations as pitches for future "priority items" that they deemed fiscally irresponsible.
Despite the $3 billion deficit, a Moore spokesman reiterated to Fox News Digital that the governor remains steadfast in his commitment to "DOGE-ing" Annapolis. "While it’s clear the governor inherited an economic flatline, he is committed to growing Maryland’s economy by reducing waste, investing in working Marylanders, industries of the future, and businesses across the state," the spokesman said. "The governor’s new government modernization initiative will cut real waste, and save taxpayers money—something Governor Moore believes DOGE and even other states can learn from."
However, these claims have been met with skepticism from Republican lawmakers. Maryland House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, R-Cumberland, questioned the credibility of claiming to be cutting the size and scope of government while simultaneously proposing massive tax increases and expanding the budget with new hires and increased spending.
"It’s not very credible to claim that we’ve been cutting the size and scope of Maryland government and rooting out fraud and waste when you look at our budget chock-full of new hires and increased spending, balanced only by massive tax increases proposed by Governor Moore and Democrats in Annapolis," said Buckel.
Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, R-Chestertown, echoed these concerns, stating that Marylanders are "still waiting" for tangible evidence of Moore’s promised efforts to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in the style of "DOGE."
"There are claims of saving $50 million, but so far, there’s been no data to prove his performance cabinet has made government more efficient or saved taxpayers money," Hershey said. "Governor Moore appears unwilling to make tough decisions and stand up to rein in state spending. His thinly veiled assurance to not support the new business-to-business service tax went over like a lead balloon."
Hershey further criticized Moore for allegedly failing to consider a statewide hiring freeze to address the deficit, opting instead to add more bureaucrats while risking future furloughs. He also pointed to "atrocious audits" within administrative departments since Moore took office, alleging mismanagement and misspending of hundreds of millions of dollars. "We are still waiting to see the necessary course corrections," Hershey added.
In response, Moore’s administration projects that Maryland will realize $50 million in savings by FY-2026 through "government modernization" and the strategic reinvestment of resources into key state priorities.
A Moore spokesman also attributed Maryland’s reported economic underperformance to previous Republican leadership, citing a 3% growth rate for the state between 2017 and 2022, in contrast to the national average of 11%.
Fox News Digital reached out to both "DOGE" leaders in Congress and the White House for comment.
White House spokesperson Liz Huston responded to Moore’s claim, stating, "President Trump led the charge to make government more efficient, and all state leaders should want to end waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars."
