Trump insists liberal governor praised him in private convo, scoffs at 2028 hopes

President Donald Trump poured cold water on Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's chances of a potential presidential run, while doubling down that the governor heaped praise on Trump during a meeting before he reclaimed the Oval Office. 

"I watched a man from Maryland who said to me … 'Sir, you’re the greatest president, you're doing an unbelievable job. What a great job.' Governor Moore," Trump said Tuesday afternoon during a meeting with members of his Cabinet. "Has anyone heard of him? He's another hopeful for president. I don't think so." 

"But I met him, and I didn't realize it was on camera," Trump added. "Did you see, they caught him on camera. I was at a game, I don't know, like the Army–Navy game or something. And I met him in a hallway. And as usual, ‘You do your job very well.’ One of these great cameramen, had it on tape. But I met this gentleman I never met him before. 'Sir, you're doing a great job. You're doing an unbelievable job. Thank you very much.' But then he goes on television, says, ‘oh, Trump is a dictator.'" 

The president on Monday also told the media that he and Moore shared a short exchange at the Army–Navy game in 2024, when he claimed Moore called him "the greatest president" in Moore's lifetime. 

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"He came over to me, hugged me, shook my hand. You were there," Trump recounted on Monday of meeting Moore. "He said, 'sir, you're the greatest president in my lifetime.'" 

The Army–Navy game was held Dec. 24, 2024, following Trump's decisive win over former Vice President Kamala Harris. 

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Moore hit back against Trump's retelling of the meet and greet during an interview on WBAL Radio, saying such a conversation "never happened."

"I’m a person who takes my integrity very seriously, and I spent the past six months before that election campaigning as to why I did not think that he should be the next president of the United States," Moore told WBAL Monday. "So when I say that conversation never happened, that imaginary conversation never happened, I mean that conversation never happened."

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Fox Nation footage captured Moore and Trump meeting at the Army–Navy game in 2024, which shows Moore thanking Trump, saying "great to have you back" and the pair discussing the Key Bridge in Baltimore, which collapsed in March 2024, killing six people. 

The bridge has since become a hot political point between Trump and Moore, with the president warning Sunday on Truth Social that he might revoke bridge funding and deploy the National Guard to address Baltimore's longstanding crime problem. Trump also has sparred with the governor about Baltimore's crime rate, including bristling at Moore's invitation for a "safety walk" of the city. 

"As President, I would much prefer that he clean up this crime disaster before I go there for a walk," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. 

Fox News Digital's Amanda Macias contributed to this report.