Gov. Wes Moore (D-MA) heaped praise on Democratic kingmaker Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) at a high-profile South Carolina dinner.

Moore insists he has no intentions to run for president in 2028, but his appearance at the dinner is sure to add to speculation. As the keynote speaker at the Democrats’ 2025 Blue Palmetto Dinner at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, Moore hailed Clyburn, an essential figure in a hypothetical presidential run.

Recommended Stories

• Wes Moore in prime time: Rising star to speak at South Carolina Democrats' dinner
• Could Stephen A. Smith be Democrats’ 2028 version of Trump?
• Andy Ogles hasn't given up on effort to allow Trump a third term

“I cannot tell you a voice that has had more impact, more focus, driven more change, not just for this country as a whole, but for all of us individually, the way that James Clyburn has done,” Moore said.

“He is not just my guy. He is my friend,” he gushed.

Clyburn’s intervention in the 2020 Democratic primary is widely credited with helping then-candidate Joe Biden revive his flailing campaign. He would win Clyburn’s home state of South Carolina after the senator’s endorsement, before securing the nomination and beating President Donald Trump in November.

Moore went on to hit all the other hallmarks commonly heard during a presidential candidate’s stump speech — recounting his difficult family history, bashing President Donald Trump, and putting forward a positive vision for the Democratic Party.

“Gone are the days when Democrats were the party of no and slow. We must be the party of yes and now. Gone are the days when we are the party of bureaucracy. Gone are the days when we are the party of panels and studies,” he said.

He also hit one of the thorniest issues for Democrats — crime.

“We’ve broken the back of crime in Maryland… the last time the murder rate was this low in Baltimore, I was not born yet,” Moore said.

The Maryland governor is viewed by many within the Democratic Party as a 2028 frontrunner, buoyed by his youth, charisma, and appeal to different parts of the party’s coalition. Despite this, he was adamant in a May 1, 2028 appearance on ABC’s The View that he was not running for president.

“I’m not running,” Moore told host Joy Behar when she asked if he was running in 2028.

“You’re not?” Behar replied, to which Moore repeatedly insisted he was not.

Co-host Sunny Hostin interjected to say he was “doing a pretty bang-up job in Maryland,” around repeated insistence that he would not run.

“Wait a minute, what if we really, really, really need you, though?” Behar said, provoking laughter.

WES MOORE IN PRIME TIME: RISING STAR TO SPEAK AT SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATS’ DINNER

Moore then sought to change direction, saying, “I’m really excited about the work that’s being done in the state of Maryland,” laying out some of his accomplishments.

The Maryland governor is one of several Democratic governors floated as possible 2028 candidates, including J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI).