Wes Moore’s Italian Vacation and the Political Blindness of Maryland’s Democratic Defenders

Let’s be absolutely clear from the start: Maryland Governor Wes Moore has every right to take a vacation.

Mr. Moore has the absolute right to celebrate his wife Dawn’s 50th birthday milestone in whatever manner they choose.

We should celebrate Maryland’s First Lady, and governors, like all of us, need rest and family time.

There is nothing wrong with taking a personal trip.

But Gov. Moore signed up for public service, which means signing up for public scrutiny.

He chose a job where optics matter, where symbolism carries weight, where the totality of circumstances — economic anxiety, his public feuds with President Trump over Baltimore crime, his proposed tax increases — creates a context that no governor gets to ignore. Not Republican governors. Not Democratic governors. Not Wes Moore.

Why Maryland Democrats Can’t See What Everyone Else Can About Wes Moore’s 2025 Italy Vacation

When the photographs emerged of Governor Wes Moore aboard George Clooney’s yacht in Lake Como, two distinct reactions split Maryland like a geographic fault line.

Normal, middle-class Marylanders — the ones who check gas prices before driving to work — saw their governor disconnected from their reality.

But Maryland’s Democratic establishment saw something different: an attack on their dear friend, their party, their identity, their entire being.

“I’d love to be friends with George Clooney too!” remarked one prominent Baltimore County Democrat in response to a Maryland Matters article that dared to report on Gov. Moore’s Italian trip.

This Democratic insider – truly one of the best there is – seemingly misses the point with such spectacular precision that it became the point itself.

Let’s be clear: We are not making a lazy, partisan attack on Moore’s vacation.

This article is about something more profound: the inability of Maryland’s political class to understand why a governor’s Italian yacht vacation, courtesy of his friend, Mr. George Clooney, might bother people who are choosing between gas and groceries.

This story highlights Mr. Moore’s institutional Maryland Democratic friends, whose entire identities are so wrapped up in Democratic politics that they cannot see what’s directly in front of them.

Let’s walk through this methodically, because the defenders deserve the respect of a careful argument, and the defended deserve accountability beyond talking points.

Part I: The Mathematical Reality of Maryland

Before we discuss Wes Moore hanging out on actor George Clooney’s yacht in Lake Como, let’s discuss numbers — not Republican numbers or Democratic numbers, just numbers.

According to the latest U.S. Census data, the median household income in Maryland is $98,461.

Sounds good, right?

We’re one of the wealthiest states.

But that number hides a stark reality.

Remove just three counties — Howard County ($142,669), Montgomery County ($125,583), and Anne Arundel County ($116,423) — and the picture changes dramatically. Baltimore City’s median household income?

Just $60,996.

This is the financial landscape most Marylanders navigate every day:

• Average Maryland rent: $1,770/month (up 31% since 2019).
• Average daycare: $15,000/year per child.
• The average national student loan payment is $393/month.
• Gas: $3.57/gallon (down from peaks but still painful).
• BGE rate increase: 21% since 2022.
• Grocery inflation: 25% over the last three years

According to the Federal Reserve, 37% of Americans are unable to cover a $400 emergency expense.

In Maryland, despite our wealth on paper, that number is an estimated 31%.

Nearly one in three of our neighbors lives paycheck to paycheck.

This is the mathematical context for the governor’s vacation.

Not politics.

Math.

Part II: The Actual Cost of a “Personal Vacation”

Governor Moore’s office insisted he “paid for” his trip personally.

That sounds reasonable, of course.

Let’s examine what “paying for his own trip” actually means and, more importantly, what it doesn’t.

Here’s what Governor Moore likely paid for:

• Flights to Italy (approximately $8,000-$12,000 for first class).
• His family’s hotel and personal expenses.
• Gifts and meals outside their private villa.

And here’s what Maryland taxpayers likely paid for:

• The Maryland State Police security detail (a minimum of 2-4 troopers, 24/7).
• Their flights: $2,000-$4,000 per officer for economy class tickets
• Their hotels: $300-$500 per night, per officer, in a peak-season destination.
• Their meals and expenses: $100-$150 per day, per officer.
• Overtime pay: International protection duty commands a premium.
• Advance security assessment: A team likely traveled weeks prior to coordinate with local Italian authorities

A conservative estimate for the taxpayer cost of the governor’s “personal” vacation: $25,000 to $40,000.

Moore’s office would only say that “the Maryland State Police determine security protocols for out-of-state gubernatorial travel.”

Notably, Mr. Moore did not temporarily transfer power to Lt. Governor Aruna Miller during his Italian sojourn — his office insisted “the governor was not temporarily unable to perform his duties” and therefore maintained full gubernatorial authority from Lake Como.

This means Maryland taxpayers were definitely funding security for an active governor abroad, not just a private citizen.

When Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer traveled to Florida during COVID, her office disclosed security costs.

When former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan took personal trips, he often reimbursed the state.

What about Governor Moore?

His press people haven’t mentioned reimbursement, but that doesn’t mean they won’t.

This isn’t about begrudging necessary security; it is about transparency and optics, which we know Governor Moore cares deeply about.

Did Maryland taxpayers need to fund security for a luxury Italian vacation? Could Moore have vacationed somewhere that didn’t require international security details?

These are fair questions that deserve answers, not deflection.

Part III: The Clooney Context and His Wes Moore Cheerleading

To understand why this matters, we need to understand who George Clooney is in Democratic politics:

Clooney’s political role:

• Raised $15 million in one night for Hillary Clinton (2016).
• Hosted a fundraiser and raised millions for former President Joseph Biden’s short-lived 2024 re-election bid.
• Clooney’s July 10, 2024, New York Times op-ed may have helped push Mr. Biden from the 2024 presidential race.
• He hosts political fundraisers where admission costs more than the Maryland median income.
• And he represents the Hollywood-Washington merger that Democrats depend on.

Clooney’s wealth markers:

• Lake Como villa: $100 million
• Tequila company sale: $1 billion
• Annual income: $40-50 million
• Net worth: $500 million

In April 2025, Clooney called Moore “a proper leader” in a CNN interview, adding fuel to speculation about 2028 despite Moore’s repeated insistence that he is not running for president.

Nobody believes that Wes Moore isn’t running for president.

The Clooneys weren’t even present during Moore’s visit — they were attending a film festival, leaving Maryland’s First Family with full run of the $100 million villa and its staff.

When Mr. Moore vacations with Clooney, he’s not just visiting a friend; he’s also enjoying the company of a renowned actor and influential, wealthy Democratic power broker.

Mr. Moore clearly understands that connecting with Clooney means that he’s networking with the Democratic Party’s ultra-wealthy donor class — the individuals who select nominees before voters do, who shape policy from compounds rather than communities.

This is what Maryland’s Democratic establishment trailblazers refuse to acknowledge: The problem isn’t jealousy of wealth. It’s the recognition that our governor is more comfortable with billionaires than with the people who elected him.

Part IV: The Establishment’s Identity Crisis

Here’s where the analysis gets uncomfortable for Maryland Democrats who wrap their entire identities in defending their political party:

Many of Maryland’s Democratic establishment figures — state delegates, party officials, political operatives, lobbyists, activists, self-inflated social media influencers who influence nobody — have built their entire sense of self around their proximity to power.

They attend the same Annapolis receptions, know the same consultants, and share the same assumptions. Their social circles, professional networks, and personal identities are inseparable from Democratic politics.

You see the obsequious pictures of them standing next to the smiling Democrats. It’s Maryland politics. It’s politics in general.

But when Marlanders criticize Wes Moore, the dutiful Democratic elites rush to social media to defend him because they feel personally attacked.

When Mr. Moore’s political judgment is rightfully questioned and challenged by voters, the Democratic elites in Maryland feel questioned.

Here’s the Maryland Democratic pushback:

• “Every governor takes a vacation!” (True, but not on billionaire yachts during economic hardship.)
• “He paid for it himself!” (Partially accurate, but ignoring taxpayer security costs.)
• “Republicans are just jealous!” (Dismissing non-partisan criticism.)
• “I’d love to be Clooney’s friend!” (Completely and utterly missing the point.)

These staunch Maryland Democratic institutional defenders cannot see what regular Marylanders see because their lives are fundamentally different.

You know who understood this more than anybody?

Peter Franchot. (And Mr. Franchot is textbook New England old money.)

These Democratic Party insiders attend their fundraisers, where a $1,000 ticket is considered the cheapest.

And there’s nothing wrong with them attending these events.

But what pisses people off the most is when they refuse to acknowledge the obvious.

Own it.

They’re not bad people; many of them are wonderful human beings.

They’re just insulated people.

And that insulation has become a political liability they can’t recognize.

That insulation is why they lost two gubernatorial elections in 2014 and 2018.

Regular Marylanders understand it – but Maryland Democratic Party elites seriously don’t get it.

These are the same people who readily share on social media that the only reason their fellow Americans voted for Donald Trump is that they are racists.

And that’s one of the reasons, among many, why Democrats will continue to lose winnable elections.

Part V: Why the Optics Actually Matter for Wes Moore

Let’s address the “making a mountain out of a molehill” argument directly:

This isn’t about Wes Moore’s trip to Italy itself.

Governors deserve rest.

It’s about what the vacation reveals:

1. Judgment: Choosing this moment (economic anxiety, an active public feud with President Trump over Baltimore crime that exploded while Moore was literally on the yacht) for this vacation (mega-luxury with mega-donor) shows stunning political miscalculation.

2. Priorities: Moore found time for Lake Como but hasn’t visited some Maryland counties this year. He made time for Clooney but skips community meetings.

3. Transparency: The governor’s staff did not list the trip on his public schedule. This secretive approach — making no announcement and hoping the public wouldn’t notice — suggests Mr. Moore knew the optics were bad but went ahead anyway.

4. Representation: Can someone who vacations with billionaires understand families choosing between prescriptions and groceries? This isn’t reverse snobbery; it’s about lived experience informing policy.

The timing deserves special scrutiny.

While Governor Moore lounged on Mr. Clooney’s personal yacht, President Trump was escalating his attacks on Baltimore, calling it a “hellhole” and threatening to send federal troops.

Of course, Donald Trump is blovating and full of blarney. These aren’t helpful comments. It’s Trump being Trump

And Governor Moore’s response?

He let his staff handle Twitter while he enjoyed Lake Como.

Even the Trump White House noticed, with Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson posting: “The crime crisis ravaging your city is no problem at all when you can jet off to an Italian yacht vacation.”

Part VI: The Hogan Contrast (Not Endorsement, Just Observation)

Larry Hogan wasn’t perfect.

But that’s why we don’t put our faith in politicians.

Larry Hogan is a regular person who ran the Maryland government like an adult from January 2015 to January 2023.

And normal Marylanders can relate to other normal Marylanders.

It’s just that simple: Marylanders like Larry Hogan because they can relate to him.

It’s not rocket science.

But Mr. Moore’s defenders should consider what Marylanders actually saw when they saw Wes Moore in Italy, hanging out with a famous Hollywood actor, while they were scrolling through their phones, struggling to pay for a 67% increase in vehicle registration fees that Mr. Moore and his Democratic allies in the General Assembly gleefully imposed on Marylanders.

“It must be nice. This guy can go on vacation while I’m struggling to pay to keep my car on the road.”

Yeah, that’s what normal Marylanders actually say to one another about this governor.

Fact: Larry Hogan is wealthy.

But Mr. Hogan doesn’t perform wealth.

Yet, Wes Moore seemingly performs as an everyman but lives in wealth.

Marylanders aren’t stupid; they see the difference.

Part VII: The Fair Question Nobody’s Asking

Here’s what Governor Moore’s defenders should be arguing but aren’t:

Every Maryland governor has taken vacations during crises:

• Larry Hogan vacationed during COVID spikes.
• O’Malley traveled during the Baltimore unrest.
• Ehrlich took trips during budget crises.

That’s not the issue.

The issue is judgment — not the right to vacation, but the wisdom of THIS vacation at THIS time.

Governor Moore could have:

• Celebrated his lovely wife Dawn’s milestone birthday at Maryland’s own luxury resort (Kim and I were engaged at The Inn at Perry Cabin; it’s beautiful!)
• Visited Italy without the billionaire’s yacht. (Maybe this?)
• Been transparent about the trip in advance. (Good idea politically.)

Yet, Wes Moore chose none of these options.

And it speaks volumes that Mr. Moore’s top PR guy, Carter Elliott IV, wouldn’t have advised him about the optics.

That’s not about his right to vacation.

Again, it’s about Mr. Moore’s judgment in exercising a right to be photographed, in Italy, on a wealthy celebrity’s expensive boat.

Part VIII: What Wes Moore’s Defenders Should Be Asking

Instead of reflexively defending Governor Moore, his social media warriors should ask:

1. Why didn’t Governor Moore announce this trip in advance? A simple “The Governor will be taking personal time for the First Lady’s birthday” would have reduced shock value. Wes Moore should have discussed the optics of this trip with his taxpayer-funded communications team.

2. What message does Governor Moore’s Italy trip send to struggling Maryland families? When you propose and sign off on tax and fee increases, and then you vacation with billionaires, how should Marylanders interpret that?

3. Is this the Democratic Party they want to be? One that defends elite privilege while preaching economic justice?

My late grandfather, Carroll Richard Hann, from Hagerstown, was a World War II vet. My pap worked at the Hagerstown Municipal Plant all his life as an engineer. He retired in 1985, the same year I was born. He was a lifelong Kennedy Democrat (and a proud Catholic).

These aren’t gotcha questions; they’re governance questions.

And the Maryland Democratic establishment’s inability to ask with any degree of intellectual curiosity reveals just how disconnected they’ve become with regular Marylanders.

Part IX: The Regular Marylander Perspective

Let me translate what regular Marylanders — not Republicans, not activists, just regular people — are thinking:

“I’m not mad Wes Moore took a vacation. I’m pissed that he took THATvacation. I’m pissed that he thinks it’s normal. I’m mad his Democratic social media defenders think I’m crazy for questioning it. I’m pissed that my governor is more comfortable on a celebrity-owned yacht in Italy than at a crab feast in Dundalk.

I work two jobs. My wife works nights. We see each other at daycare dropoff. We haven’t taken a real vacation in three years. We shop sales. We clip coupons. We delay car repairs. We’re not poor — we’re middle class. But we’re exhausted.

And our governor is on George Clooney’s yacht in Italy. Our governor is politically connected to Hollywood billionaires who think they run the world and tell us we’re stupid for making adult choices different from their own.

Then his friends in Annapolis tell me I’m being petty. That I’m jealous. That I don’t understand how politics works.

I understand perfectly. That’s the problem.

And that’s why Democrats lose elections.”

I can imagine about 150 different Washingtonians sitting down for a summer crab feast at the Williamsport Red Men Lodge, saying exactly this.

Anybody from Washington County — I was born and raised there — knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Part X: The Legitimate Defense That Nobody’s Making

There is a legitimate defense of Moore, but establishment Democrats aren’t making it because it requires admitting uncomfortable truths:

• “Yes, Wes Moore is an elitist. Whatever. It is what it is. Fine.”
• “Yes, Wes Moore is disconnected from average Marylanders.”
• Yes, the Italy trip and hanging out on Clooney’s yacht is politically tone-deaf.”
• “Sometimes you need elite connections to pass progressive policies. Politics is ugly. This is the trade-off.”

These are honest arguments.

Agree or disagree, it acknowledges reality instead of denying it.

But Maryland Democrats can’t make this argument because it admits what they spend enormous energy denying: They’re the party of educated elites who think they know what’s best for everyone else.

Conclusion: The Question Maryland Must Answer

Again, for absolute clarity: Wes Moore deserved a vacation.

Maryland First Lady Dawn Moore deserved a beautiful 50th birthday celebration.

First families deserve privacy and family time.

No one — not this publication, not Republicans, not anyone — should begrudge them rest and celebration.

• However, Governor Moore also chose a career in public life.
• He chose to run for governor during a time of economic hardship.
• He chose to propose tax increases.
• He chose to engage in public battles about Baltimore crime.
• And then he chose to hop on a plane with Maryland State Troopers, at taxpayers’ expense, and vacation on a celebrity’s yacht in Italy as political battles raged on his home turf.
• Oh, and Mr. Moore is cozying up to the very same elitist international celebrity who wrote a New York Times article in July 2024 and helped push Joseph R. Biden Jr. out of the 2024 presidential contest.

It’s About Wes Moore’s Political Judgment | That’s All It Is

The regular Marylanders questioning Mr. Moore’s Italian celebrity vacation aren’t partisan warriors or jealous haters.

No, that’s such a lazy argument that it’s not even worthy of refutation.

They’re exhausted parents, anxious middle-class families. Some are struggling families who see their governor, Mr. Moore, living in a different universe while claiming to fight for theirs.

The Democratic establishment defending Moore needs to stop asking “What’s wrong with vacationing with George Clooney?” and start asking “What’s wrong with us that we can’t see why people are upset?”

Because until they can see it — really see it, not just pretend to understand while dismissing it — they’ll keep losing the very people they claim to champion.

And they’ll deserve to.

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