7 highlights from CBS News town hall with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore

In a CBS News "Things That Matter" town hall, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore blasted President Trump — but also urged Democrats to change their perception as "the party of no and slow." Politics 7 highlights from CBS News town hall with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore: Trump, Epstein and whether he'll run for president By Joe Walsh Joe Walsh Senior Editor, Politics Joe Walsh is a senior editor for digital politics at CBS News. Joe previously covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston. Read Full Bio Joe Walsh February 15, 2026 / 8:00 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google In a CBS News "Things That Matter" town hall, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore criticized President Trump's handling of immigration as well as the shortcomings of the Biden administration on the issue. He fired back at a spate of insults from the president, but hinted that Democrats could pick up a few lessons from Mr. Trump as they seek to shed their image as "the party of no and slow."The Army veteran-turned-Democratic governor also addressed his own political future during the hourlong discussion moderated by CBS News senior correspondent Norah O'Donnell, airing Sunday. Here are the highlights:Moore: Democrats need to stop being "the party of no and slow"Asked what the Democratic party should do differently, Moore said: "Democrats have got to stop being the party of no and slow, and start being the party of yes and now.""Everything cannot be a 10-year study. Everything cannot be a 15-year analysis, right?" the governor added. "If I'm telling you that I feel like the school that my child is attending is not preparing them for the world, I don't want to hear you tell me, 'Well let me just make sure that I put a commission together to analyze that.'"He suggested that Democrats could draw inspiration from an unlikely source: Mr. Trump."He does not waste time," the governor said. "Donald Trump did not need an analysis to decide that he was going to rip away food assistance for the people of our state. Donald Trump did not need a five-year study to determine that he was going to deploy federal agents inside of our communities and neighborhoods with no accountability." Earlier in the town hall, Moore pushed his party to focus on "addressing the issues that people care about," like the cost of living, rather than offering "red meat" to its existing supporters."I think in this moment that the job of the Democratic Party is not to just energize the base," Moore said. "It's to enlargen it. It's to speak to everybody."Does Moore think Trump is a racist?Moore has found himself in Mr. Trump's crosshairs in recent days. He was one of two Democrats who Mr. Trump declared "not worthy" to get invited to an annual White House meeting and dinner with governors from both parties this month. In a Truth Social post, the president called Moore "foul mouthed," criticized his performance as Maryland governor and accused him of lying about receiving a military medal. Moore said Mr. Trump's post was "full of lies" and "unhinged." Moore shrugged off the White House snub, saying that "if the point of the meeting is to turn it into name-calling … I will not go.""I will work with anyone. But I will bow down to no one," Moore told CBS News. "And I think the president has a problem with that."Earlier this month, Mr. Trump drew bipartisan criticism over a Truth Social post that included a depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. A litany of Republican lawmakers called the video — which has been deleted — "racist," "incredibly offensive" and "inappropriate." The president said he didn't see the offensive part of the video before posting it.Asked if he believes Mr. Trump is a racist, Moore said it's a question for the president to answer."But, frankly, I think his actions probably give the answer before he even has a chance to answer it himself," the Maryland governor said.Moore criticizes Trump's immigration crackdown — but says Biden "needed to do more"Moore was critical of Mr. Trump's handling of immigration, including a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests that he argued has ensnared many people who fall far short of the Trump administration's pledge to go after the "worst of the worst."He said ICE, which received a massive infusion of funds last year, is, by funding, "the largest law enforcement agency in this country, and they are using their resources arresting 5-year-olds. And so, I have a very difficult time seeing how this is making us safer." The governor also said that both parties have "punted" on immigration. Asked about the surge in unauthorized border crossings during former President Joe Biden's time in office, Moore said, "I definitely think that the former president did not have this right.""We needed to do more," he said. "I don't think anyone can argue that we had the system worked out under President Biden — that immigration was worked out."He said Congress needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and faulted the current GOP-led House and Senate for a "continued abdication of responsibility."Moore says "justice has to be served" for Epstein's crimesMoore called the revelatio