America is turning 250, and the current occupant of the White House wants to turn the party into a political rally about himself. Governor Wes Moore isn't having it. In this Independents Week special, the Maryland governor joins Paul Rieckhoff to reclaim July 4th as a celebration of the country — not a person — and to draw the sharpest possible line between nationalism and patriotism. Moore, the first African-American governor in Maryland's history, will deliver a counter-programming address from a statehouse built by the hands of enslaved people, and he explains why that history is exactly the point.
The conversation also goes where most politicians won't. Moore backs open primaries, calling out how less than 10% of congressional races are competitive by November and how independents — now the fastest-growing bloc in the country — get locked out of the elections that actually decide who governs them. He walks through Baltimore's stunning turnaround: homicides down 60-65%, vacant homes being closed at record pace, the Orioles locked in for 30 years. And he closes with a July 4th message every independent American needs to hear right now — that our future is ours, not his, and that patriotism is work.
In this episode
- Why Governor Moore is delivering a July 4th address as direct counter-programming to Trump's political rally on America's 250th birthday
- Patriotism vs. nationalism — Moore's sharpest framing yet on the difference and why it matters right now
- The Leave No One Behind slate: how Moore endorsed candidates in Maryland's primary based on disruption, not ideology, and swept
- Why closed primaries are corroding Congress — and Moore's case for reform in Maryland and nationally
- The stat that should end the debate: less than 10% of congressional races are competitive by the general election
- Baltimore's underreported comeback — homicides down 60-65%, vacant homes shrinking, Orioles locked in for 30 years
- Standing in a statehouse built by enslaved people as Maryland's first Black governor: complexity, sacrifice, and the American project
- Why Moore believes the Knicks championship run is a lesson in never giving up — for fans and for the country
- Moore's direct message to the angry middle: your cynicism is justified, but the work of patriotism is still yours to do
