Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore is facing criticism for condemning rising «tribal» politics while continuing to push a redistricting effort that opponents say would eliminate the state’s sole Republican congressional seat.

Moore, a rising Democratic star who is being floated as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, gave an Independence Day speech in which he described American history as «powerful,» «painful» and «complex.»

Speaking in the Maryland State House, where George Washington resigned his military commission in 1783, Moore proclaimed that «too many feel that our politics has become tribal, that our political system once felt like a gift, but the politics of today feel like a grift.»

In response, Haven Shoemaker, the top state attorney for Maryland’s Carroll County, remarked to Fox News Digital that «Gov. Moore is proof positive that hypocrisy knows no bounds.»

WATCH: MARYLAND DEMS DEFEND ‘BIG TENT’ PARTY AS NEW YORK SOCIALIST SURGE FUELS DEM DIVIDE

«On the basis of what you would have to characterize as tribalism, he is going to convene a special session of the Maryland General Assembly to redistrict Maryland’s only Republican congressman out of office. Sounds like tribalism to me,» said Shoemaker.

Maryland General Assembly leaders announced they will meet for a special session beginning on Aug. 3 to consider a constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting, affiliate Fox 45 reported. The special session follows months of pressure from Moore and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Maryland Democrats to advance a congressional redistricting plan that would likely eliminate the state’s lone Republican-held district.

The earlier effort to pass the redistricting bill had fizzled out largely due to Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat who called the proposed map «objectively unconstitutional» and expressed his worry that «the downside risk to Democrats is catastrophic.»

Afterward, Moore notably did not endorse Ferguson in his primary race despite the senator being one of the highest-ranking Democrats in the state.

After the special session announcement, Moore said in a statement that «for months, I have said that inaction is not an option and we cannot sit on the sidelines while voting rights, fair representation, and the foundations of our democracy come under attack across the country.»

TRUMP FOE WINS CRUCIAL DEM PRIMARY AS 2028 PRESIDENTIAL SPECULATION SWIRLS

Senate President Bill Ferguson speaks as Maryland lawmakers convene for a new session on Jan. 8, 2025, in Annapolis, Maryland. (Jonathan Newton/for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

«I appreciate the General Assembly’s continued conversations and the agreement to come back to finish the work,» he said, adding, «My administration will work closely with the General Assembly as they consider legislation to ensure our state has the tools necessary to protect voters and defend fair representation.»

Meanwhile, Shoemaker, who previously served nine years in the Maryland House of Delegates, even holding the role of minority whip, accused Moore of being caught up in national politics while Marylanders are «fleeing in droves.»

«His record as governor is abysmal,» he said, adding, «Since he became governor, almost four years ago, all that he’s done is really tried to position himself to run for president.»

Shoemaker also took issue with Moore’s critique of American nationalism during his July 4th address.

Moore remarked that «today there are those who will use patriotism to justify pulling books from schools and rewriting history until it comforts those in power. In reality, that’s not patriotism; that’s nationalism.»

The governor continued that «nationalism is not an extension of patriotism; they are not interchangeable. There’s a difference, and that does matter.»

Shoemaker responded that «patriotism means that you love your country,» while in his view nationalism «means that your country is exceptional.»

«It’s pretty clear to me that neither Gov. Moore nor the ultra-progressives generally think that America is exceptional, and I think that’s incredibly sad,» he said.

Moore’s comment also garnered criticism from Maryland Freedom Caucus Chair Matt Morgan, a Republican, who said, «In Moore’s world, if you’re a parent concerned about explicit material in your child’s school library, you’re a nationalist. If you question the revisionist history framework of the 1619 Project and advocate for accurate, honest history, you’re not a patriot. You’re a nationalist.»

«It’s a neat rhetorical trick: reframe the terms, and suddenly anyone who disagrees with you is the villain,» said Morgan.

In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, the Maryland Freedom Caucus called Moore’s decision to convene lawmakers for a special session for redistricting «a blatant partisan effort to rewrite the Maryland Constitution so Democrats can gerrymander away Rep. Andy Harris’s seat and silence rural and conservative voices.»

«While Maryland families sit around their kitchen tables wrestling with sky-high taxes, crushing energy costs, and a cost-of-living crisis made far worse by Annapolis Democrats, Governor Wes Moore has decided now is the perfect time to call a special session,» said Morgan.

In response to the criticism, Ammar Mousa, a spokesperson for Moore, told Fox News Digital, «Why are Maryland Republicans so against patriotism?»

BLUE STATE RESIDENTS ‘FLEEING IN DROVES’ AFTER ‘INSANE’ PROGRESSIVE TAKEOVER, SAYS TOP STATE ATTORNEY

Gov. Wes Moore appears on «Meet the Press» in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7, 2025. (Shannon Finney/NBC via Getty Images)

Shoemaker told Fox News Digital that his own county has been targeted by state leaders for «wanting to have age-appropriate material in public school libraries.»

In 2025, the Maryland State Board of Education reviewed Carroll County’s removal of 20 books from school libraries after parents argued the removals violated Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act, which was signed by Moore in 2024. The State Board ultimately upheld the county’s decision, allowing the books to remain off library shelves.

«Fighting to keep filth in public schools and public school libraries, or, you know, even revising history to make villains of Founding Fathers who have made our country great by just pointing out their flaws. That seems like moral relativism to me and revisionism at its worst,» said Shoemaker.

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

Shoemaker said that it is policies such as these, along with continuously «hiked taxes,» that prompted him to announce he is moving out of the state at the end of his term. He says he is not the only one calling it quits on Maryland under the current leadership.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

«I’ve talked to a lot of people; most of them say that they don’t blame me a bit for fleeing Maryland, and a substantial number of those folks say that they’re right behind me,» he said.

Fox News Digital also reached out to the Maryland State Board of Education for comment.

El parlamentario Andy Burnham, quien representa al sector de la izquierda moderada en el oficialismo británico, está a punto de convertirse en el próximo primer ministro del Reino Unido, tras asegurarse este jueves el respaldo del 80 por ciento de los legisladores laboristas en una contienda por el liderazgo del partido.

El probable sucesor de Keir Starmer consiguió el respaldo de 322 diputados de los 403 miembros laboristas del Parlamento, solo uno por debajo del umbral que anularía matemáticamente la posibilidad de que haya otro candidato.

En el primer día del plazo de presentación de candidaturas al liderazgo laborista, el exalcalde de Gran Manchester, ahora diputado por Makerfield, logró situarse a tan solo un voto de los 323 apoyos necesarios para que sea matemáticamente imposible que un rival se presente contra él.

Burhnham también superó con creces el mínimo de 81 diputados -el 20 % del total de parlamentarios laboristas- que se necesita para poder postularse a primer ministro. El plazo para la candidaturas a líder del Partido Laborista vence el próximo miércoles.

Este es exactamente el número de votos que quedan por registrar, por lo que todos ellos deberían apoyar a un único rival alternativo para evitar una victoria de Burnham. Esto es algo poco probable, ya que algunos diputados que no han emitido todavía su voto lo han respaldado públicamente.

Burnham dijo en redes sociales que estaba “profundamente agradecido” por el apoyo de los diputados laboristas, que “refleja una creencia compartida de que el Reino Unido necesita un nuevo enfoque de la política”.

La propuesta del laborista consiste en «poder fuera de Westminster, una economía reconfigurada para la gente común y un buen crecimiento en cada código postal», escribió en X. «Quiero empoderar a los diputados para que traigan las experiencias de sus electores al corazón del gobierno, y aprovechar toda la amplitud de nuestro movimiento laborista, recurriendo a todas sus tradiciones y creencias en pos de un propósito común», agregó.

Además de superar el umbral de los 323 avales, Burnham necesitaría también obtener la nominación de al menos tres de las 31 sociedades socialistas y sindicatos afiliados al Partido Laborista, aunque se espera que este sea un mero trámite formal.

De confirmarse que el umbral se supera, y que no existe ningún candidato alternativo, Burnham sería declarado formalmente como nuevo líder del Partido Laborista el próximo 17 de julio y accedería al cargo de primer ministro el día 20, tras una reunión con el rey Carlos III.

As the first day of nominations draws to a close, I am deeply grateful to the 322 Labour MPs who have put their trust in me and nominated me for Leader of the Labour Party.

Their support comes from across the PLP and reflects a shared belief that Britain needs a new approach to…

— Andy Burnham (@andyburnham) July 9, 2026

Advertisement

Entre los 322 diputados que han respaldado la candidatura del exalcalde de Manchester se incluyen gran parte de los ministros y otros miembros de alto rango en el actual Gobierno del Ejecutivo de Keir Starmer, encabezados por el vice primer ministro británico, David Lammy, la ministra de Economía, Rachel Reeves o la actual titular de Exteriores, Yvette Cooper.

La democracia parlamentaria del Reino Unido permite que los partidos gobernantes cambien de líder y, por lo tanto, de primer ministro, sin necesidad de una elección general. La próxima elección nacional recién tendría que celebrarse en 2029.

Starmer anunció en junio que tiene previsto renunciar tan pronto como su partido de centroizquierda eligiera a un sucesor. Fue elegido con una victoria aplastante en julio de 2024, pero luego de dos años anunció su salida del cargo,marcada por tropiezos y errores de juicio que erosionaron su posición ante su partido y el público.

Burnham, quien también ostentó cargos de secretario de estado, pasó casi una década al frente del Gran Manchester, en el noroeste de Inglaterra, antes de regresar al Parlamento al ganar una elección especial el mes pasado. Ahora, en el espacio de unas pocas semanas, se ha convertido en el candidato más firme para asumir como premier.

El británico se comprometió a revertir casi dos décadas de bajo crecimiento desde la crisis financiera de 2008 mediante un enfoque bautizado como “manchesterismo”, que consiste en aprovechar dinero privado y público para invertir en áreas como transporte, vivienda e infraestructura.

Con información de EFE y AP.

Graham Platner is taking his name off the ballot, but the trail of debris left from the mounting controversies that brought down his nearly year-long insurgent Senate campaign in Maine is giving Republicans ammunition to use against Democrats in other crucial midterm races.

«Democrats rolled in the mud with Platner, and now they are completely stained by their association with this sick monster,» Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters charged in a statement minutes after the Marine Corp veteran announced on Wednesday night that he was suspending his campaign.

Republicans are now linking Platner to Democrats in a handful of House and Senate races that will directly impact the midterm battle for control of Congress.

Platner, a populist Democrat backed last September by leading national progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was challenging longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a high-profile, combustible and very expensive race in Maine, which is one of a handful that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority in November’s midterm elections.

PLANTER CALLS IT QUITS, DROPS SENATE BID AMID MOUNTING SCANDALS

Platner’s exit from the race came two days after an explosive report on Monday afternoon contained an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. It was only after that report when a chorus of calls emerged from top Democrats across the country for him to immediately drop out.

But Platner, the combat veteran and oyster farmer whose campaign caught fire and steamrolled the Democratic establishment, had already been forced on defense ahead of the his primary victory last month.

Past inflammatory online comments made on a now-deleted Reddit account came back to haunt him at the same time he was reeling from revelations of a now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol. Then reports that Platner exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married came right before allegations from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes were made public.

Platner repeatedly called the allegations of violence untrue and dismissed his tattoo and Reddit posts as actions taken by a younger man who has now changed.

And addressing the latest rape allegation, a visibly irritated Platner charged in his suspension video on Wednesday: «This is all false. The things that have been claimed did not happen. It is not real.»

PLATNER’S GONE: HERE’S WHAT’S NEXT AND WHO’S SCRAMBLING TO REPLACE HIM

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks to an overflow crowd outside a campaign event June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo)

But Republicans see an opportunity to use Platner’s toxic baggage as a cudgel against some Democrats on the ballot in key races this year — especially those who once backed the Maine candidate or defended him against previous allegations.

«Every Democrat that endorsed Graham Platner endorsed a rapist, and every Democrat that stayed silent was complicit,» Gruters argued.

The GOP quickly took aim at Matt Dunlap, the Democratic nominee in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, a Democrat-controlled open seat in a mostly rural district President Donald Trump carried in the past three presidential elections that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is heavily targeting.

Dunlap endorsed Platner and appeared with him at a campaign event days before Maine’s June 9 primary.

«Out of touch freak Matt Dunlap might be okay with Nazi lovers and men who abuse women, but in November, he’ll see for himself that Mainers aren’t. Dunlap’s embrace of this vile human is disqualifying,» NRCC Spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole charged.

On Monday, amid a wave of Democrats calling on Platner to call it quits, Dunlap said in a statement, «The allegations reported today are serious, and they deserve to be treated with the gravity they warrant. As such, I am calling on Graham Platner to withdraw from the race for Senate so we can all come together behind a nominee who can successfully carry the torch in November.»

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

In neighboring battleground New Hampshire, the NRCC took aim at Stefany Shaheen, the polling front runner in the September primary in the state’s 1st Congressional District, another crucial swing seat that is among roughly two to three dozen that will determine if the GOP holds its razor-thin House majority in the midterms.

«Granite Staters will hold Shaheen accountable for her appalling judgment,» O’Toole argued.

Shaheen never endorsed Platner, but did not explicitly condemn him until Monday, when she said in a statement that «the allegations of sexual assault are extremely disturbing.»

«Graham Platner needs to drop out of this race. I stand with the women who bravely came forward,» she added.

The Shaheen campaign told Fox News Digital that Republicans are being hypocritical, and pointed to President Donald Trump as an example of the double standard.

«Stefany Shaheen called for Graham Platner to drop out. Republicans hacks are total hypocrites still excusing Donald Trump even after he was forced to pay millions in damages to a woman he sexually abused,» Shaheen campaign manager Emma Greenberg told Fox News Digital.

«They have nothing to say about the twenty-eight women who have accused Trump of sexually abusing them. Stefany is going to keep taking on Donald Trump’s corrupt self-dealing and misogyny along with the hacks who keep enabling it.»

The general election winner in the congressional race will succeed four-term Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who is running for the Senate this year.

Former GOP Sen. John E. Sununu, the Republican front-runner in that race, took aim at Pappas over what he charged were the «failures of Chris Pappas when it comes to Graham Platner.»

The statement spotlights a critical piece on Pappas penned by the conservative-leaning New Hampshire Journal.

Pappas, who never endorsed Platner, also took to social media on Monday, saying, «The allegations against Graham Platner are reprehensible, and he must step aside.»

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

The Pappas campaign also argued that Sununu, who is backed byTrump, is being hypocritical.

«Donald Trump was found liable for sexual abuse, bragged about sexually harassing women and girls, has publicly defamed and demeaned survivors, and is mentioned in the Epstein files over 38,000 times — and John Sununu accepted Trump’s endorsement anyway,» Chris Pappas for Senate spokesperson Gates MacPherson said. «Chris Pappas called on Platner to step aside immediately. John Sununu still stands with Donald Trump. They are not the same.»

The Senate showdown for the Democrat-controlled seat in New Hampshire is one of roughly a dozen races that will determine if Republicans retain their majority in the chamber.

Democrats question how effective any concerted push by the GOP to use Platner as ammunition may be with voters this autumn.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

«Battleground district voters don’t care about Graham Platner, CJ Warnke, communications director at the House Majority PAC, the top super PAC supporting congressional Democrats, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Warnke, pivoting to affordability, argued that voters «care about how Republicans broke their promise lower costs by passing a toxic agenda of tariffs, new wars, and devastating health care cuts. Meanwhile, Democrats are running on making life more affordable and rooting out corruption, and in November we’re going to win.»