Democratic presidential contender Wes Moore stuns DC after coming out in support of his son transitioning

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 00:17, 13 May 2026 | Updated: 00:19, 13 May 2026 Maryland Governor Wes Moore has drawn criticism from the Trump administration after he revealed he would support his underage son if he wanted to become transgender.  Moore - considered a top contender for president among Democrats in 2028 - made the admission during a podcast with businessman Patrick Bet-David.  Bet-David asked: 'Your son comes in saying he wants to transition, what do you do?' Moore, who has a teenage son, said that he would 'support and love' his children regardless.  'I want to make sure that I am involved in understanding where he is, how he's feeling, why he thinks this is important,' Moore responded.   'If this is a journey that he wants to go down, um I want him to always be comfortable in his own skin and I want him to know that he always has a partner in me.' Bet-David went further, asking if Moore would advise his son to wait until he is at least 18 years old.  'If this is how he is feeling and I feel like I am closely tied to him, I'm not gonna advise him on something he feels,' Moore replied, before Bet-David pressed him on his son being underage. Maryland Governor Wes Moore has drawn criticism from the Trump administration after he revealed he would support his underage son if he wanted to become transgender Moore - considered a top contender for president among Democrats in 2028 - made the admission in an interview with Patrick Bet-David 'I understand that,' Moore said of his concerns. 'What I'm saying is, the most important thing for me is I want him to feel safe in his own skin, safe in his own decision-making but also that, at 14 years old, I want to be involved inside of that process as well.' Moore did say he thought it would be 'deeply unfair' to put his son on puberty blockers but refused to disown the hypothetical scenario.  'I'm not going to condemn him nor castigate him, I'm not going to kick him out of the house. I'm not going to do anything that's going to hurt him, but I just want to make sure that I'm involved.' Republicans jumped on the statement, with the RNC Research X account saying Moore supports letting 'his son go through gender mutilation as a minor if he wanted to.' The White House also responded on behalf of President Donald Trump. 'Under the Biden Administration, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex-change surgeries were marketed to children on the basis of ideologically-driven and financially-motivated 'science.,'' White House spokesperson Allison Schuster said. 'President Trump is returning Gold Standard Science to the center of public health policy by ending the practice of pushing irreversible surgeries and chemical treatments onto children and minors.' The governor has faced contention from Democrats as well amid his sudden rise in national politics.   Moore, who has a teenage son, said that he would 'support and love' his children regardless Republicans jumped on the statement, with the White House responding on behalf of President Donald Trump slamming Moore Moore is seen as talented despite his lack of political experience, seven Maryland Democrats told Axios back in February.  They also said he is, at times, conceited.  Moore, 47, a former investment banker and US Army captain, was first elected to political office when he won the gubernatorial race in 2022. As a rising star in his party, Moore enjoyed frequent visits - and photo ops - from former President Joe Biden, got an envious speaking spot at the Democratic National Convention in 2024 and has earned his 'resistance' stripes by being the frequent foil to President Donald Trump's social media posts.  However, there's trouble in liberal paradise. Maryland state lawmakers overrode 19 bills vetoed by Moore in December alone. Moore, who is black, particularly enraged his voters after vetoing a bill to study reparations, sources told Axios. The governor has also been resisted by Maryland lawmakers while trying to redraw the state's congressional map.  Sources also told the outlet that state Democrats were outraged after Moore, speaking in his annual State of the State address, pleaded with lawmakers not 'let the democratic process die,' in reference to an ongoing gerrymandering effort. Some sources chalked up the friction to Moore's political inexperience.  Some Maryland Democrats said it has been hard for other officials to connect with the governor and his team members.  Moore has privately acknowledged the fissures.  'I am an outsider at heart — and I don't see that changing,' he quipped to staff, according to the report.  'It's taken time to build relationships, it's taken time to learn Annapolis.'  A spokesperson for Moore shared that the state legislature and the governor can collaborate on and that the redistricting back-and-forth is 'just a disagreement.' The rocky road for Moore could prove a challenge if he wishes to secure the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination in a crowded field.  Fellow governors Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and JB Pritzker of Illinois are expected to hop in the race, according to prediction markets.  As are Democratic superstars ex-VP Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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