{"id":2424490,"date":"2025-04-16T22:44:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T02:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/george-clooney-praises-gov-wes-moore-as-rising-democratic-star-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-04-16T22:45:03","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T02:45:03","slug":"george-clooney-praises-gov-wes-moore-as-rising-democratic-star-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/george-clooney-praises-gov-wes-moore-as-rising-democratic-star-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"George Clooney praises Gov. Wes Moore as rising Democratic star &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgeorge-clooney-praises-gov-wes-moore-as-rising-democratic-star-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2424490&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Actor George Clooney recently expressed his support for Maryland Governor Wes Moore, describing him as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-red-wave-of-conservative-women-elected-to-congress\/\" title=\"The Red Wave of Conservative Women Elected to Congress\">rising star<\/a> within the Democratic Party and a potential unifying figure.In a CNN interview, Clooney praised Moore&#8217;s leadership, particularly in response to recent crises in Baltimore, and acknowledged his impressive background, including his military service and experience in philanthropy. clooney emphasized the need for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/americas-biggest-childrens-hospital-to-stop-gender-affirming-therapies-for-kids\/\" title=\"America\u2019s Biggest Children\u2019s Hospital To Stop \u2018Gender-Affirming Therapies\u2019 For Kids\">strong political leadership<\/a> as the Democratic party prepares for future elections.<\/p>\n<p>Despite Moore&#8217;s growing national recognition, he faces criticism from local business owners and Republican leaders regarding a new state budget that proposes significant tax increases. Former Governor Larry Hogan has also criticized Moore&#8217;s fiscal policies, claiming they could harm Maryland&#8217;s economy. As Moore prepares for his 2026 reelection campaign, speculation rises about Hogan possibly mounting a challenge.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">George Clooney praises Gov. Wes Moore as rising Democratic star<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2075149\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Actor and filmmaker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/george-clooney\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"George Clooney\">George Clooney<\/a> is throwing his support behind Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/wes-moore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Wes Moore\">Wes Moore (D-MD)<\/a>, calling him a rising Democratic star and a potential unifying figure for the party&rsquo;s future.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I really think there&rsquo;s one person in particular I think who is spectacular,&rdquo; Clooney said in an interview with CNN&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jake-tapper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Jake Tapper\">Jake Tapper<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/3382873\/kennedy-center-permanently-illuminate-exterior-red-white-blue\/\">Kennedy Center to permanently illuminate exterior in red, white, and blue<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3382763\/george-clooney-drop-support-biden-2024-civic-duty\/\">George Clooney dropping support from Biden was his &#8216;civic duty&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/3380786\/jon-stewart-mocks-trump-cabinet-meeting\/\">Jon Stewart mocks &#8216;weird&#8217; Trump Cabinet meeting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>He named Moore as a standout leader, saying he is &ldquo;levitating&rdquo; above other political contenders.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 320px; min-height: 180px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/share.grabien.com\/share.php?id=2895576&amp;userid=11311&amp;loginid=10455&amp;playercolor=%23000000&amp;playersize=auto&amp;code=d018067983f656043be00f26d504d08f\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0px;\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&ldquo;He is the guy that has handled this tragedy in Baltimore beautifully,&rdquo; Clooney said, referring to the recent Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. &ldquo;He had two tours of duty in Afghanistan, active duty. He speaks sort of beautifully. He&rsquo;s smart. He ran a hedge fund. He ran the Robin Hood Foundation. He&rsquo;s a proper leader.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I like him a lot. I think he could be someone we could all join in behind. We have to find somebody rather soon, you know, because we need to,&rdquo; the Democratic Hollywood fundraiser added.<\/p>\n<p>He also heaped praise on Democratic governors, including Govs. Andy Beshear (D-KY) and Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI).<\/p>\n<p>Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has also praised Moore as a political leader.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think his praise of Gov. Moore is justified,&rdquo; Carville told Tapper in a later CNN show segment. &ldquo;The competition is going to be stiff. There&rsquo;s an enormous amount of talent in the Democratic Party.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 320px; min-height: 180px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/share.grabien.com\/share.php?id=2895580&amp;userid=11311&amp;loginid=10455&amp;playercolor=%23000000&amp;playersize=auto&amp;code=331d6bd855d6228c5cdc4f4be54551e6\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0px;\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In a recent interview with the<em> Baltimore Sun<\/em> editorial board, Moore <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/2025\/04\/07\/takeaways-from-gov-wes-moores-sit-down-with-the-baltimore-sun-editorial-board\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"dismissed \">dismissed <\/a>speculation about a presidential run, emphasizing his focus remains squarely on leading the state.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not running for president in 2028. I&rsquo;m running for reelection in 2026, and I think we are going to have a really powerful story to tell about the things we&rsquo;ve been able to get done for the people of this state,&rdquo; the Maryland governor said during the April 7 interview.<\/p>\n<p>Despite his rising national profile, Moore is facing mounting criticism at home, particularly from Maryland business owners and Republican leaders, over the state&rsquo;s newly approved $67 billion budget, which includes $1.6 billion in tax and fee increases for the 2025 legislative session.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">THE TAX MAN: It&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GovWesMoore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@GovWesMoore<\/a>&rsquo;s favorite day of the year! He blew through a $5.5 BILLION surplus &mdash; and now he&rsquo;s dancing his way through $1.67 BILLION in new taxes and fees. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rkVnHuZv5u\">pic.twitter.com\/rkVnHuZv5u<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; No Moore (@NoMooreMD) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NoMooreMD\/status\/1912233616299512147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 15, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;With over $1.6 billion in new or increased taxes, this represents the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-unveils-2t-infrastructure-plan-tax-increases\/\" title=\"Biden unveils T infrastructure plan, ... increases\">largest tax hike<\/a> in Maryland history&mdash;a staggering burden on working families, small businesses, and retirees already struggling with inflation and economic uncertainty,&rdquo; the Maryland Senate Republican Caucus said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has also been outspoken in his criticism of Moore&rsquo;s fiscal leadership, warning that the state is heading in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Unfortunately, just two years later, we&rsquo;re <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">facing multi-billion-dollar deficits<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/business-groups-organize-to-fight-tax-increases-from-biden-democrats\/\" title=\"Business Groups Organize To Fight ... Increases From Biden, Democrats\">record tax hikes<\/a>,&rdquo; Hogan <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GovLarryHogan\/status\/1905354085810790618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1905354085810790618%7Ctwgr%5E292b5bce02030537b07dd55053f098c17d89edcf%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fstate%2F3368557%2Fandy-harris-floats-third-governor-term-larry-hogan%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"wrote\">wrote<\/a> in a post on X, formerly Twitter. &ldquo;The vast majority of Marylanders now believe the state is way off track&mdash;and 52% are even considering moving out of the state.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3382763\/george-clooney-drop-support-biden-2024-civic-duty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"GEORGE CLOONEY DROPPING SUPPORT FROM BIDEN WAS HIS 'CIVIC DUTY'\"><strong>GEORGE CLOONEY DROPPING SUPPORT FROM BIDEN WAS HIS &lsquo;CIVIC DUTY&rsquo;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Hogan added, &ldquo;Today is a sad and unfortunate day for Maryland that was entirely avoidable. The tax hikes proposed would cripple Maryland&rsquo;s economy and already struggling Marylanders. They are the exact opposite of the approach we took for eight years to cut taxes and create a record surplus.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>As Moore looks ahead to a 2026 reelection campaign, speculation is growing that Hogan could return to challenge him. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3368557\/andy-harris-floats-third-governor-term-larry-hogan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"recently suggested\">recently suggested<\/a> the possibility of Hogan running for governor again, potentially setting the stage for a high-profile rematch in the next gubernatorial election.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2075149\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2075149\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>George Clooney endorses Gov. Wes Moore as a promising Democratic leader<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2678,"featured_media":2424491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wes-Moore-and-George-Clooney-1024x738.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32923,34524,38909],"class_list":["post-2424490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-democratic-party","tag-george-clooney","tag-wes-moore"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wes-Moore-and-George-Clooney-1024x738.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2424490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2678"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2424490"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2424490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2424494,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2424490\/revisions\/2424494"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2424491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2424490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2424490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2424490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}