Wes Moore

It's not a good use of my time.

It's it's not lost to me that I'm the only black governor in this country.

And and I find that to be particularly painful, considering the fact that the president is trying to exclude me from from an organization that that not only are my peers have asked me to help to lead, but then also a place where I know I belong in.

And so I have long learned and I've talked to the people and the children of my state is that I'm never in a room because of someone's benevolence nor kindness.

I'm not in a room because of a social experiment.

I'm in the room because I belong there.

And the room was incomplete until I got there.

Well, I don't I don't know.

I can't speak to the president's intent.

It's not lost to me, but I can't speak to the president's intent.

We are not out of the crisis, and we do not have a solution yet, but we are in a much better position now compared to a few weeks ago, because there are no threats on the table, there's no trade war with Europe, and that is good.

It's not lost on me that I'm the only black governor in this country.

And I find that to be particularly painful, considering the fact that the president is trying to exclude me from an organization that not only all my peers have asked me to help to lead, but then also a place where I know I belong in.

That I'm the only black governor in this country.

and only the third elected Black governor in the history of this nation.

And Donald Trump and J.D.

Vance and their allies in the states that he suggested are doing everything in their power to silence the voices and trying to eliminate Black leadership, elected leadership, all over this country.

The idea that we should have a government shut down, it hurts my state more than any state in the country.

But I also know this.

We cannot continue to allow this funding of the 13th largest military force by funding in the world to continue to exist.