Gov. Wes Moore to Trump: “Please start doing your job!”
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Why was Governor Wes Moore surprised about not being invited to the White House dinner?
Maryland Governor Wes Moore was taken aback when he learned that he wasn't on President Donald Trump's invite list for the White House's annual meeting for governors, a historically bipartisan event. As a leading figure in the Democratic Party, a larger question looms, though, for Moore. How does he think his party can prove to voters that they've figured out a way forward heading into this year's midterm elections? Hello, and welcome to USA Today's The Excerpt. I'm USA Today White House correspondent Francesca Chambers. Today's Thursday, February 19, 2026. And joining me now is Maryland Governor Wes Moore. Governor Moore, thank you so much for being here.
It's great to be with you, Francesca. Thank you.
I wanted to start with your dispute with President Donald Trump. He said this week that the polluted spill in the Potomac River is your fault and you should call and ask for his help if you need it. Have you?
So what the president is talking about is a break in a DC pipe that took place on federal land. How Maryland gets caught up in this, I have no idea.
How does Governor Moore believe the Democratic Party can regain voter trust?
That is just some very creative facts from the presidents of the United States. The reason that we were involved starting in early January when this first happened was because we heard from our neighbors about this break and I wanted to make sure that there was no contagion that hit the state of Maryland And I believe in helping your neighbors. And so that's why our Maryland Department of the Environment were some of the first boots on the ground, that they've been testing water quality, that they have assisted Washington, D.C. in their quest of being able to address the issue of the spillage, and why it's now been over a week since that issue of the spillage has now been solved. And now the problem is solved.
Now the president wants to reach out and not just say that it's been our fault, which we had nothing to do with this, but also not acknowledging the fact that this was his responsibility. This was the federal government whose job it was to do this. And since they didn't do it, I did. And so if the president wants me to ask politely, here's my ask, Mr. President, yes, I had to do your job for the past month, but please, will you please start doing your job?
What is your motivation for being combative with President Trump at times and then other times you're not?
Well, this is not about being combative with President Trump. I have no desire of being combative with the President of the United States, but I also have no desire of watching my people be attacked. I'm just built different, right? I mean, I'm a soldier by nature. I fight for my people. I defend my people. And when I'm watching someone attack my people, I have no problem returning fire. And I don't care if it happens to be the president of the United States. I have no desire to get into a back and forth with the president.
What was the context of the dispute between Governor Moore and President Trump?
I just want to make sure that the president understands that fighting for Americans means fighting for Marylanders too.
You've said it's not lost on you that you're the only black governor in this country and you were excluded from what had traditionally been a bipartisan dinner at the White House. You also said that President Trump's actions speak for themselves when you were asked point blank during a recent town hall if you believe he's a racist. You deliberately declined to call him one. Why is that?
Well, because I can't speak to the president's heart. I can't speak to what he feels or what he says behind closed doors when I or others are not around. But I can speak to his actions, and I can speak to how his actions hit. members of our community, members of the black community. And I know that when I'm watching him do things like cutting scholarships and grants for HBCUs intentionally, when I'm watching him do the greatest assault on black female employment in the past year that we have seen in our nation's history, When I'm watching doing things like saying that our history doesn't matter or that 8A programs should be canceled or that our books should be banned, I can tell you that his actions are speaking a whole lot louder than maybe he understands or realize about does he really support every community in this country or does he support the friends he's giving tax cuts to while the rest of us just end up carrying the bag for the rest of his policies.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
Why was Governor Wes Moore surprised about not being invited to the White House dinner?
0:05–1:15
2
How does Governor Moore believe the Democratic Party can regain voter trust?
1:15–2:59
3
What was the context of the dispute between Governor Moore and President Trump?
2:59–4:35
4
How did Governor Moore respond to Trump's accusations regarding the Potomac spill?
4:35–11:28
5
What are Governor Moore's thoughts on being combative with President Trump?
11:28–14:49
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from The Excerpt
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