Virginia, Maryland governors split on Trump's D.C. takeover
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Left: Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images. Right: Gov. Wes Moore. Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images
Virginia and Maryland are D.C.'s neighbors — but their governors are each taking very different stances toward President Trump's federal takeover of the city's police.
Why it matters: The three entities share borders, workforces and economic relationships — meaning what affects one often has ripple effects on the others.
The big picture: Virginia's Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been largely supportive of Trump's policies, while Maryland's Democrat Gov. Wes Moore has attacked them.
State of play: While the Trump administration hasn't asked Virginia to send its National Guard troops to D.C., Youngkin said last week, the governor has praised Trump's crackdown.
- "[D.C.] is extremely dangerous. People don't feel safe," Youngkin told WUSA9. "This will make D.C. safer."
- The governor likened the unprecedented takeover of the District's police force to a multi-agency Homeland Security Task Force he launched in Virginia this year to fight organized crime and conduct immigration enforcement.
- The state's National Guard is being used as part of that regional task force, Youngkin has said, which includes agents from at least seven federal agencies and a handful of state agencies.
Moore, meanwhile, has been skewering Trump's takeover since it was announced.
- "I'm heartbroken for members of the National Guard who are asked to take on this mission," Moore told CNN last week, saying he only deploys Maryland's National Guard "in cases of emergency and true crises."
Trump took notice and said during a press conference last week that Moore has "no chance" at becoming president.
- Moore clapped back later that day, posting an X video with the caption: "President Trump doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't believe in performative stunts."
- "[Unlike Trump], I've actually worn the uniform of this country," Moore, an Army veteran, told journalist April Ryan last week.
- "I do not need, and will not accept, any type of lecture from someone who the only uniform they have worn is a Brooks Brothers suit."
Between the lines: Trump has hinted that he could use the federal takeover model in other cities, including Baltimore.
The intrigue: FBI director Kash Patel described the federal-local partnership used in Youngkin's task force as a model for the D.C. takeover.
- And Terry Cole — head of the Drug Enforcement Agency who's now working with D.C. police under the city's takeover — was formerly Virginia's public safety secretary under Youngkin.
- "Terry did amazing work here in Virginia in partnership with me, and he's going to do amazing work [in D.C.]," Youngkin told reporters last week, according to remarks shared with Axios from the governor's office.
What they're saying: Youngkin's and Moore's offices declined to comment for this story.