Maryland Gov. Wes Moore Says Trump Blocked Him From Speaking at Baltimore Submarine-Parts Event
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Tuesday that he skipped a Baltimore event announcing a $6.6 billion Navy partnership with Anduril Industries after President Donald Trump barred him from speaking. The White House said Moore had been invited to attend as a guest.
BALTIMORE — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore accused President Donald Trump on Tuesday of keeping him from speaking at a Baltimore event announcing a new facility to manufacture submarine parts, reviving a public feud between the Democratic governor and the White House, according to USA TODAY.
Moore said he had spent more than a year helping to bring the investment to Maryland but decided not to attend after being told he would not be allowed to deliver remarks, USA TODAY reported. A person familiar with the matter told the outlet that the host company, Anduril Industries, had invited Moore to speak and that the White House blocked it; the White House did not dispute that account in its response.
White House says Moore was invited as a guest
The White House said Trump had invited Moore to attend the event as a guest and criticized the governor for making the multi-billion-dollar announcement about himself, according to USA TODAY. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were among the officials who spoke, and the event unveiled a $6.6 billion federal partnership between the U.S. Navy and Anduril. Anduril’s chief executive, Chris Schimpf, thanked Moore during the event, the outlet reported.
Moore attended a debate in his reelection race earlier on Tuesday and was scheduled to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony later in the day, according to USA TODAY.
A feud that goes back to February
Tuesday’s dispute was the latest clash between Moore and the administration. In February, Moore — the country’s only Black governor — was not invited to a National Governors Association dinner at the White House, a break with tradition that also drew pushback from Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, according to USA TODAY. The White House said at the time that other Democrats had been invited and that the president could invite whomever he chose.
Moore is seeking reelection in November and is viewed as a possible contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. He told USA TODAY in February that he had no desire to be combative with the president, but that he would respond when he believed Marylanders were being attacked.
Reporting based on coverage by USA TODAY.
