A 1,600-word Substack essay shifts the question from what he did to why critics are asking
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews
Governor Wes Moore published a personal essay Monday on Substack titled “The Only Thing That’s Ever Made Sense To Me,” framing months of scrutiny over his military biography as the work of “partisan political operatives” engaged in “slanderous rumors.”
The essay does not appear to answer the core criticism driving the controversy.
The question critics — including veterans, journalists, and others seeking documentary corroboration — have raised is specific: Did Moore accurately describe his military service in the accounts that made him a public figure and, eventually, governor of Maryland? The essay does not address that question. Instead, it reframes the controversy entirely, shifting from what Moore did to why people are asking.
The piece emphasizes service, sacrifice, personal hardship, and the loyalty of unnamed fellow soldiers. Moore writes that “the United States Army recognized my service” and that his “commanders praised the work we did.” He notes that “the men and women I served with — the people who were there, who evaluated me, commanded me, fought alongside me — they’re not questioning my integrity.”
None of those characterizations name a witness. None address the specific disputed claims.
Moore deployed to Afghanistan in 2005 with the 82nd Airborne Division — that much is not in dispute. What critics have pressed for is corroboration of the combat-related storytelling that shaped his public biography, the accounts that appeared in his memoir, his speeches, and the national narrative that carried him to the governor’s office. Monday’s essay offers no new documentation, no named corroborating source, and no direct engagement with any specific claim that has been challenged.
Instead, the essay pivots. By its midpoint, Moore has turned to the Trump-Vance administration’s cuts to veterans’ benefits, layoffs of federal workers who are veterans, and the blocking of military promotions. These may be legitimate policy criticisms. They are not a response to questions about his own record.
The rhetorical structure of the piece is worth noting. Moore writes: “I don’t care about attacks on me. I can take the heat.” That framing — the selfless leader absorbing criticism for the sake of a higher cause — positions scrutiny of a factual record as a personal attack on a veteran, and by extension, an attack on veterans broadly. It is a reframe, not a rebuttal.
This is not Moore’s first opportunity to address the substance. The questions have been public for months. Monday’s essay was a platform with a wide audience and no word limit. He used it to describe his feelings about service.
The question he was asked remains open.
UPDATE: Moore Spokesman Mischaracterizes Records Request as Investigation Intensifies
As Governor Wes Moore published a personal essay Monday framing scrutiny of his military record as “slanderous rumors” driven by “partisan political operatives,” his press secretary was doing something more specific — and more problematic.
Ammar Moussa, Moore’s communications director, appeared on WCBM’s “The Kim Klacik Show” on Wednesday and claimed that reporters seeking the governor’s military records were actually asking for “tens of thousands of pages of medical records” containing “incredibly sensitive” and “incredibly private” information.
Spotlight on Maryland, the investigative collaboration between FOX45 News, WJLA, and The Baltimore Sun driving the inquiry, says that characterization is false. The news team has sought answers about Moore’s military career, his public claims, his awards, and his official personnel file. It has not requested medical records.
On X, Moussa directed followers to foia.army.mil — the Army’s general public records portal — without linking to any specific document that resolves the questions reporters have been asking for months.
Those questions are specific. Retired Army colonel Drew Sullins, who has been analyzing Moore’s personnel records for Spotlight on Maryland, has asked why Moore received a Bronze Star nearly 18 years after his 2005 Afghanistan deployment — and just months after the New York Times reported in 2024 that Moore had claimed the award on a 2006 White House Fellowship application without having received it. Sullins has also asked whether the retroactive award process Moore accessed was available to ordinary veterans, describing it as “remarkably fast.” Moore has not responded to either question.
“Release everything,” Sullins said this week. “Let people make up their own minds.”
Moore’s office did not respond to Spotlight’s questions submitted Thursday, including whether taxpayer-funded communications staff are being used to defend statements Moore made before becoming governor — in books, interviews, and career applications.
The pattern is now consistent: a personal essay with no named witnesses, a spokesman mischaracterizing what reporters asked for, and a social media post pointing to a general government portal. None of it is the record itself.
The question remains open.
Keep MDBayNews Reporting Free
MDBayNews exists to help Marylanders understand decisions made by state and local leaders — especially when those decisions affect daily life, rights, and public services.
If this article helped clarify what’s happening or why it matters, reader support makes it possible to keep publishing clear, independent reporting like this.
Have a tip or documents to share?
We review submissions carefully and confidentially. Anonymous tips are welcome when appropriate.
Discover more from Maryland Bay News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.