Trump, Musk (Getty)
Moore said that while some politicians may want to immediately hire 10,000 people, he saw it as an opportunity to "right-size" the government and eliminate waste.
"One of the first hires I made was a chief performance officer. We’ve been doing DOGE in Maryland long before anyone knew what that word was," Moore said.
In previous comments to Fox News Digital, the Moore administration stated its intent to collaborate with Trump and the White House when possible, but emphasized its commitment to protecting Marylanders—particularly in light of how DOGE’s federal workforce cuts will disproportionately impact the Old Line State.
Moore had hired an Irish consulting mega-firm to be Annapolis’ eyes and ears on the White House just 35 miles westward.
"Where there is common ground to be found, he will find it," a spokesman for Moore said in response to claims the Irish contract foreshadowed a confrontational relationship with their new neighbors.
Moore told Smith that Maryland is so inextricably tied to the federal government that "when the country catches a cold, the DMV [DC-MD-VA] catches pneumonia."
LAWMAKERS FROM STATE WITH MOST FEDERAL WORKERS PER CAPITA WARN AGAINST TRUMP BUYOUT BID
Trump-Musk (Fox)
Hershey claimed Moore did not consider a statewide hiring freeze to help with the deficit, but instead added more bureaucrats while risking future furloughs.
"His administrative departments have been plagued with atrocious audits since taking office—hundreds of millions have been mismanaged and misspent. We are still waiting to see the necessary course corrections," Hershey added.
Meanwhile, Moore predicts that Maryland will see that $50 million in savings through FY-2026 via "government modernization" and reinvestment of resources toward top state priorities.
A Moore spokesman suggested that previous Republican leadership was responsible for Maryland’s reported economic underperformance, citing a 3% growth rate for the state between 2017 and 2022—compared to the national average of 11%.
Fox News Digital reached out to DOGE leaders in Congress and the White House for comment.
White House spokesperson Liz Huston responded to Moore's claim Tuesday: "President Trump led the charge to make government more efficient, and all state leaders should want to end waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars."
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/md-dem-gov-moore-doge-3b-deficit-looms