By Daniel Dale, CNN

(CNN) — Video footage of a 2024 conversation between President Donald Trump and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore disproves Trump’s claim that Moore called him “the greatest president of my lifetime.”

Trump and Moore have been trading public barbs over public safety in Baltimore amid the president’s takeover of law enforcement in nearby Washington, DC. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump claimed that Moore, a Democrat, struck a markedly different tune when they met privately at the Army-Navy football game in Maryland in December 2024.

“I met him at the Army-Navy game,” Trump said. “They said, ‘Oh there’s Gov. Moore, he’d love to see you.’ He came over to me, he hugged me, shook my hand – you were there – he said, ‘Sir, you’re the greatest president of my lifetime.’ I said, ‘That’s really nice that you say that. I’d love you to say it publicly, but I don’t think you can do that, so it’s okay,’ but, ‘No, sir, you’re doing a fantastic job, I want to just shake your hand.’”

Moore scoffed at Trump’s story, posting a social media response that said merely “lol” and then another post that said, “Keep telling yourself that, Mr. President.” He said in a WBAL Radio interview, reported by The Washington Post, that “when I say that conversation never happened, that imaginary conversation never happened, I mean that conversation never happened.”

The video proves Moore right.

On Monday, Fox News aired the footage of the brief meeting between Trump and Moore away from the crowd at the football game – and the Trump-friendly network acknowledged that the video, which was filmed for a Fox documentary show about Trump, didn’t show Moore calling Trump “the greatest president.” It also didn’t show Moore hugging Trump as they met.

It showed Moore shaking Trump’s hand and saying, “Welcome back to Maryland, sir. Welcome back to Maryland. It’s good to see you.” After Trump said something brief that is difficult to hear in the video, Moore said, “Thank you, sir. It’s great to see you, and great to have you back here.” Moore added, “We are very, very anxious to be able to work closely with you.” He went on to talk about how he had just spoken to House Speaker Mike Johnson about securing federal funding to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge after a ship crashed into it, and he promised to have the project done “on time, on budget.” After Trump said, “We’ll help you out,” Moore responded, “Thank you, sir.”

Moore spokesman Carter Elliott, IV told CNN on Monday: “That was the only interaction at the game.” He repeated that Moore “certainly didn’t say” what Trump claimed. The Fox footage, he said, “captures the whole interaction aside from them taking a photo at the end I believe.”

Trump has a long history of making up stories in which someone approaches him and lavishes him with praise; these stories often feature the person calling Trump “sir.” Moore did use that word during the conversation, but the rest of Moore’s comments were not as Trump described. Nor were Trump’s own comments to Moore.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday about Trump’s false claim.

The-CNN-Wire
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