From Crime to Business: Trump, Moore Trade strikes Crime and Bridge Currency

Originally a verbal battle of crime committed in Baltimore between Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the President Donald Trump It is now turning into a high-risk business struggle.

Federal funding for a container ship lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March last year was the new flash point.

Trump says he can send the National Guard to Maryland to resolve crimes

On Sunday, Trump raised the possibility of withdrawing bridge funds in a truth society post, and even deployed the National Guard to address the city’s crime: “I gave Wes Moore a lot of money to repair his demolition of the bridge. I have to rethink the decision now.”

Revelation is after the Tit-for-Tat barbs exchanged by Moore and Trump on Baltimore’s crime rate.

Moore believes the prospect of withholding these dollars could derail critical infrastructure projects related to the port of Baltimore, injecting uncertainty into efforts that businesses, unions and federal agencies rely on to move goods through one of the busiest transportation centers on the East Coast.

The new bridge is located at the entrance to the Baltimore port and is expected to cost about $1.9 billion. Without federal dollars, Maryland will struggle to pay for that fee and construction schedule, which could exceed current 2028 goals to complete, extend commuting, truck drivers and transportation disruptions.

Baltimore Key Bridge collapsed: cargo ship causing disaster had 2 power failures before departure

The port of Baltimore is Economic Engine This supports more than 20,000 jobs, supports operations in more than 900 businesses, and handles about $7 billion in trade. Although the port handles a relatively modest share of U.S. trade, nearly 5% of imports and more than 3% of exports are crucial for certain commodities.

The port is a key portal for heavy machinery such as bulldozers and tractors, as well as critical metals and coal. In fact, it handles almost all U.S. tin imports, as well as more than a third of its nickel, including crucial for electronics, steel and batteries, According to to Peterson Institute of International Economics. most trading The port is associated with Europe and Asia and is also a key link in international supply chains.

Dali’s container ship was seen in the wreckage after the Francis Scott Key Bridge hit the structural dock, causing the subsequent bridge to collapse, April 1, 2024. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service/Getty Images)

“President Trump’s attack threatens this bipartisan agreement, a victory for port workers, truckers, small businesses, service members and working families throughout Maryland and throughout the United States. Any threat to this funding will cause irrevocable damage to the national economy and Maryland,” a Moore spokesman wrote in a manifesto to Fox News.

The spokesman added that the reconstruction was already underway: “We have started rebuilding and now Maryland is making great progress and our president threatens to intentionally hurt Maryland. We will continue to move forward with a full drive because we know that the bridge is crucial to the country as a whole.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore held a memorial ceremony at the anniversary of the disaster of Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Trump escalated the dispute on Sunday after Moore invited to Baltimore’s public safety walkway.

“As president, I would rather he clean up this crime disaster before going there for a walk,” Trump wrote in the “Social Outpost of Truth”. He accused Moore of having a poor record on crime, “unless he covers up the numbers about crime like many other blue states.”

Trump added that he did not appreciate Moore’s invitation.

“But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in Los Angeles, I’ll send “troops,” which were done in nearby DC and quickly cleared the crime,” Trump wrote, adding that Baltimore ranked as the worst city in the United States for crime and murder.

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Moore’s office fired backwards, and updated calls for Trump to visit Baltimore in person. “This is a president who would rather attack his country’s largest city from behind the table than walk the streets with the people he represents,” a spokesman said. A Moore spokesman added that the city recorded its lowest homicide rate in 50 years.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration developed a plan to make Washington, D.C. “safeer and more beautiful” as his administration redoubles its efforts Efforts to address crime and the growing number of homeless people In the capital of the country.

Trump said he will resolve crimes in other major U.S. cities, describing the District of Columbia as a “hell” before federal law enforcement, more than 2,200 National Guard Members are mobilized to patrol the city’s streets. “It’s safe now,” the president said the day after visiting with troops deployed by the capital.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi Said last week More than 700 people were arrested It has been produced in DC since August 11.