'Will bow down to no one': Wes Moore responds to Trump's dinner snub and 'foul-mouthed' jab

"I will work with anyone. But I will bow down to no one. And I think the president has a problem with that," Maryland Governor Wes Moore told CBS News 'Things That Matter' town hall. In the episode that aired on Sunday, Moore was responding to a question about the recent spate of verbal attacks he has faced from President Donald Trump. On a post on Truth Social, Trump called Moore "the foul mouthed Governor of Maryland, who fraudulently stated that he received Military medals."

Moore and Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the first openly gay man to be elected governor of any U.S. state, were snubbed by the Trump administration for the Governors' Dinner. "The invitations were sent to ALL Governors, other than two, who I feel are not worthy of being there," Trump wrote in his Truth Social post, generating a barrage of criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman called the President’s actions petty. "The President has chosen to exclude the only Black governor and one of our nation's only LGBTQ governors from the National Governors Association dinner. How petty," she wrote on X, adding, "As long as Governor Moore and Governor Polis are disinvited, no governor should attend."

Earlier, Brandon Tatum, the NGA's CEO, said in a statement that the organisation was "disappointed in the administration's decision to make it (the Governor’s dinner) a partisan occasion this year." The White House has, however, defended the move, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying that Trump has "discretion to invite anyone he wants to the White House.” "It's the people's house," she said, "It's also the president's home, so he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here at the White House."

Meanwhile, 18 Democratic Governors announced Tuesday that they would boycott the traditional dinner at the White House. "If the reports are true that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year," the Democrats wrote.

While Trump has clarified that statements being made about only Republican governors being invited were a "lie", he did not miss the opportunity to berate Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and California Governor Gavin Newsom. "I even invited the SLOB of a Governor, JB Pritzker, and horrendous California Governor, Gavin Newscum, to the Dinner, despite the terrible job that they are doing," the President wrote in his Truth social post. 

Speaking with Norah O'Donnell on CBS News, Moore said the question of whether Trump is racist "is a question for President Trump," but added that the impact of his policies on Black Americans and other communities of color is evident. The interview followed bipartisan criticism over a video shared on Trump's Truth Social account that portrayed former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.

Earlier, Moore had described the President's post as an act of "blatant racism." "The President's post on Truth Social goes beyond a dog whistle. It is blatant racism, relying on imagery that has long been used to demean and dehumanize Black people," he had written, adding, "But this moment is about more than a single post. The words our leaders choose matter. The images they invoke matter. It shapes how we see one another and the kind of country we are deciding to be."