ABC 7: Wes Moore calls Maryland flag a ‘contradiction,’ sparks backlash, then backtracks

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore moved Thursday night to tamp down backlash over remarks calling the state flag a “contradiction,” responding on social media after Spotlight on Maryland pressed his office to clarify whether he believes the flag’s Confederate and Union symbolism calls for change.

While discussing his effort to engage Maryland in a national mid-decade congressional redistricting battle, Moore brought up the state flag and its history during a podcast last week.

“And do I understand kind of the history of this country? Absolutely – like you can’t look at the history of Maryland,” Moore said. “I mean, literally, you look at our flag. Our flag is a contradiction because our flag is literally a Confederate symbol mixed with a Union symbol.”

“Like Maryland is the northernmost southern state in this country. The bloodiest battles of the Civil War were fought in the state of Maryland, and despite that, I stand here as the governor of that same state,” Moore added.

Following Spotlight on Maryland’s report, these remarks were quickly met on Thursday morning with questions from state lawmakers and senior legislative staff about what Moore meant by his remarks.

“The governor is a very good communicator when he sticks to his prepared talking points,” said Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hersey, R-Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne Counties. “But once he gets off topic, you’re not really sure what is going to come out of his mouth.”

“The fact that he called the Maryland flag a contradiction, I think is not only wholly inappropriate, but is very hurtful to the citizens of Maryland who really look at this Maryland flag and the pride of it being the most recognized flag in the country,” Hershey added.

Hershey continued that Moore should either “roll it back” or “come up and say exactly what he meant when he started to talk about it.”

A senior Democratic legislative staffer, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of this position in government, told Spotlight on Maryland, “Don’t mess with the flag.”

“He should know better,” the staffer said.

Meanwhile, curiosity surrounding Moore’s comments extended beyond Annapolis. The official X account for Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, a Baltimore-based restaurant that ships Maryland crabcakes nationwide, posted a picture of the state flag on Thursday morning.“What a beautiful flag,” said Jimmy’s Famous Seafood account.

Spotlight on Maryland emailed the governor’s office on Tuesday, asking for clarification on what Moore meant by his comments about the state flag on the podcast and if he would support changing the flag.

Moore’s office did not provide a direct answer on the governor’s stance on the state flag.

“Maryland’s flag is undoubtedly the best flag in the country,” Turner said. “It also symbolizes the state’s complicated history. As you know, the Crossland arms were adopted by the Confederacy, and the Calvert arms were adopted by the Union. The Governor often uses that history to provide audiences unfamiliar with the legacy of the state a way to understand it quickly. There’s not more to it than that unless someone is willfully ignoring the facts, which happens from time to time in politics.”

Following the social media uproar and questions from state lawmakers, Moore himself posted an animated GIF on Thursday evening of him shaking the state flag in a stadium photo.

“Love the flag. Ain’t changing it. Back to work, everyone,” wrote Moore on his official state social media account.

David Turner, Moore’s senior advisor and communications director, also wrote on social media about the questions, saying they were “trolling” Spotlight on Maryland’s reporting and that he “hope[d] you win the Pulitzer on this one.”

Del. Matt Morgan, R-St. Mary’s County, and chairman of the conservative-leaning Maryland Freedom Caucus, said he is not amused, adding the governor’s team is “managing a communication crisis” and does “not understand Maryland at all.”

“The Maryland flag stands as a stunning and iconic emblem of our state’s heritage,” Morgan said. “The true contradiction? Governor Wes Moore’s perpetual flip-flopping and his ever-evolving resume.”

The current Maryland flag design was adopted by the general assembly in 1904. The Maryland Secretary of State’s website said the flag’s design is“from the shield in the coat of arms of the Calvert family, the colonial proprietors of Maryland. George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore, adopted a coat of arms that included a shield with alternating quadrants featuring the yellow-and-black colors of his paternal family and the red-and-white colors of his maternal family, the Crosslands.”

The state website added that combining both coats of arms on the nearly 122-year-old flag – the Crossland Cross, adopted by Maryland residents who sympathized with the Confederacy, and the Calvert family’s colors – was intended to heal post-Civil War grievances in the Old Line State.

Moore’s podcast comments come as Mississippi, Utah, Minnesota, and Georgia have changed their flags in recent years, citing Confederate symbolism or a desire for more inclusive representation. Each change followed intense political debate, and in some cases, public referenda.

In Maryland, discussion about changing the flag briefly surfaced in 2020 but stalled without legislative action.