By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews
Maryland Democrats have developed a remarkably convenient economic theory: when the numbers are bad, Donald Trump owns them. When the numbers are good, Wes Moore does.
That contradiction became impossible to miss this week. On Thursday, Rep. Sarah Elfreth blasted the national economy after the United States reportedly lost 23,000 jobs in July, blaming Trump’s Iran policy, tariffs and what she called his “reckless policies.”
Then Friday morning brought a very different headline from Maryland. The state added 11,700 jobs in July, according to new Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Of those, 10,900 were private-sector jobs. Maryland also revised its June numbers upward and has now added an estimated 29,800 nonfarm jobs during the first seven months of 2026.
That works out to 1.1% employment growth in Maryland so far this year, compared with just 0.3% nationally. Maryland’s unemployment rate also dipped to 4.2%, although it remains slightly above the national rate of 4.1%.
So which story are Maryland voters supposed to believe?
If Trump’s policies are so destructive that they explain every disappointing national jobs number, how is Maryland simultaneously adding nearly 30,000 jobs and growing employment at more than three times the national rate?
And if Wes Moore deserves credit for Maryland outperforming the country, then Democrats have to concede something else: the national economy apparently isn’t powerful enough to dictate Maryland’s results after all.
They cannot have it both ways.
The breakdown makes the contradiction even clearer. Health care and social assistance added an estimated 4,800 Maryland jobs in July, professional, scientific and technical services added 3,000, and accommodation and food services added 1,400. Manufacturing and government each added another 800. Retail, meanwhile, lost 1,200 jobs.
Those are real gains, and Marylanders should welcome them. But politicians should also be consistent about who gets the credit and who gets the blame.
For months, Gov. Wes Moore and his allies have portrayed every positive Maryland statistic as evidence that their policies are working. Maryland’s Department of Labor was already boasting in June that the state had added 17,800 jobs during the first half of 2026 and was outperforming national employment growth.
Now the July report strengthens that talking point.
Fine. Then Democrats like Elfreth should stop pretending every negative national number can automatically be dumped at Trump’s feet while every positive Maryland number belongs exclusively to Annapolis. Economic conditions do not change political parties when you cross the state line.
If tariffs, federal policy, and international events are responsible for every national setback, they also exist while Maryland is adding jobs. If state policy deserves credit for Maryland’s successes, state policy deserves scrutiny for Maryland’s failures too. That is the part political messaging conveniently leaves out.
The July report is good news for Maryland. Nearly 30,000 jobs added this year is worth celebrating. But it also exposes one of the oldest games in politics:
Bad economy? Blame Washington.
Good economy? Take the credit.
Maryland Democrats are currently trying to do both at the same time.
And Maryland voters can read two headlines in two days.
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