INTERVIEW: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore On Lowering Energy Bills, Redistricting, ICE's Impact + More

Summary

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The Breakfast Club – Interview with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore

Date: January 30, 2026
Hosts: DJ Envy (absent), Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne tha God, Mimi Brown
Guest: Governor Wes Moore

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Episode Overview

In this dynamic and topical interview, Maryland Governor Wes Moore joins The Breakfast Club to discuss a range of urgent state and national issues ahead of his re-election campaign. Topics include his administration’s progress in Baltimore, efforts to lower energy bills, the controversial expansion of ICE, redistricting battles, the impact of federal turbulence on Maryland, and Moore's personal philosophy on leadership and public service. With speculation growing around a Wes Moore 2028 presidential run, the conversation digs into his bipartisan appeal and what drives his approach to governing.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Baltimore’s Transformation and State Progress

03:01–03:59

• Charlamagne highlights positive community buzz around Moore’s work in Baltimore.
• Moore details dramatic changes:
  • 2022: Inner Harbor in receivership, almost a homicide a day, 17,000+ vacant homes.
  • Now: Fastest drop in violent crime in the U.S. “The last time the homicide rate was this low in Baltimore, I wasn’t born yet.”
  • Economic growth: 7th fastest in the U.S.; ranked 3rd best place for recent grads (Forbes).
• Quote (04:21, Moore): “We are on the move…Baltimore, stand up.”

Economic Initiatives and Polls

05:00–06:05

• Charlamagne mentions Moore’s high, but softening, approval.
• Moore lists accomplishments:
  • 35,000 new businesses, nearly 100,000 new jobs.
  • Major private investments: AstraZeneca & Samsung Biologics.
  • “If anybody wants to challenge me, come with it.”

Lowering Energy Bills & Grid Reform

06:05–08:59

• Moore talks about the new $40 electric bill rebate for Marylanders and how energy prices can really be reduced only by increasing supply.
• Pushes for investment in solar, wind, nuclear.
• Addresses grid bottlenecks and legislation to speed up new projects.
• Quote (08:08, Moore): “I would say it isn’t enough. We obviously always want to be able to do more… but the best thing…is to increase supply.”

Impact of Federal Layoffs and Shutdowns

08:59–11:50

• Maryland has the most federal workers, vulnerable to shutdowns.
• “Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have already fired over 25,000 Marylanders—federal workers.”
• Moore decries ICE’s budget increase from $10B (2024) to $85B, now the largest law enforcement agency in the U.S.
• Quote (09:14, Moore): “These are the people who Trump and Vance went after first…any shutdown is devastating for us.”

ICE’s Expansion and Political Concerns

11:50–12:40

• ICE has become a “problem everywhere,” especially in cities being targeted.
• Moore warns ICE, now with massive resources, may be used to intimidate voters.

Voter Intimidation, Redistricting, and Data Protection

12:40–15:45

• Moore fears ICE could disrupt polling places, calls ICE “Trump’s personal army.”
• Talks tough on redistricting: “It’s not about one seat. It’s about democracy… are you willing to fight or not?”
• Moore touts Maryland’s refusal to hand over voter files or data.
• Quote (14:41, Moore): “100%. [We are] doing the redistricting…[and] I’m not backing down…I’m not going to blink on this one.”

SNAP Benefit Controversy and Transparency

16:55–18:48

• Responds to whistleblower claims about SNAP error rates:
  • Moore says he hired a chief performance officer to raise accountability.
  • Maryland’s SNAP error rate down 60%—"among the fastest drop in the entire country."
  • Cooperating with ongoing independent oversight.
• Quote (17:08, Moore): “I’m a results guy, and here are the results…”

Audience Q&A: Housing Affordability

22:47–25:41

• Caller Adele asks about housing costs.
• Moore highlights legislation supporting first-time buyers and renters, calls for more inventory by building on state-owned land.
• Signed executive order for inventory/allotment of state land for housing projects.
• Quote (23:45, Moore): “Housing is the greatest pusher of poverty…[and] the greatest pusher of wealth.”

Audience Q&A: Education and "The Other Wes Moore"

25:51–28:13

• Ms. James, Brooklyn teacher, praises Moore’s memoir as classroom curriculum.
• Moore discusses identity, expectations, and the importance of educators.
• Quote (27:18, Moore): “We are products of our expectations.”

National Model, Faith, and Personal Moments

28:27–30:34

• Speculation about Moore as a 2028 presidential candidate.
• Hosts tease him about his public singing at Richard Smallwood’s funeral.
• Moore gets personal: faith as grounding force.
• Quote (29:22, Moore): “I’m proud to be a governor…but number one, I’m a child of God.”

Governing Amidst Polarization

30:35–32:09

• Moore addresses federal dysfunction; emphasizes state and local leadership as the last defense against federal overreach.
• Quote (31:55, Moore): “Who your mayor is, who your attorney general is…for many of us, you become both the last line of defense…[and can] show what right should actually look like.”

Record as Governor and Bipartisanship

32:09–36:22

• The importance of a governor’s record for national office.
• Moore was not the party’s choice—his candidacy is about people, not politicians.
• Bipartisan support from Republican mayors and county execs: “When the governor says he’ll build a table big enough for all of us, he means it.”
• Service Year and Apprenticeship: Maryland first to offer a paid service year for high school grads, now being modeled nationally.

Lighthearted/Personal Moments

• Running joke about being related to rapper Styles P (“you’ve never seen us in a room together”).
• Moore displays range: “I do ‘Jesus, You’re the Center of My Joy’ but I also do ‘I Get High’ too” (36:41).
• Confident, direct, yet lighthearted style throughout.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Crime Reduction: “The last time the homicide rate was this low in Baltimore, I wasn’t born yet.” (04:21, Moore)
• On Energy Policy: “We obviously always want to be able to do more, but the best thing we can do…is to increase supply.” (08:08, Moore)
• On ICE Expansion: “ICE is now the largest law enforcement agency in this entire country. Bigger than the FBI, bigger than the ATF, bigger than the DEA. And what are they doing, arresting five-year-olds, killing American citizens?” (09:14, Moore)
• On Voter Intimidation: “They are playing in our face in broad daylight. And so, no, I’m not going to sit down and be quiet.” (13:50, Moore)
• On Housing: “Housing is the greatest pusher of poverty… [and] the greatest pusher of wealth.” (23:45, Moore)
• Personal Values: “I’m proud to be governor and all that kind of stuff, but number one, I’m a child of God.” (29:22, Moore)
• Refusing Federal Data Requests: “I’ve told them, you ain’t getting that… We protect our people’s information.” (18:57, Moore)
• On Being Related to Styles P (Joking): “All I’m saying is you’ve never seen us in a room together.” (36:41, Moore)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:01: Baltimore turnaround, crime, and economy
• 05:00: Maryland's growth, jobs, approval polls
• 06:05: Energy rebate, clean energy plans
• 08:59: Federal layoffs, ICE, government shutdown
• 12:40: Redistricting fight, voter protection
• 16:55: SNAP error allegation response
• 22:47: Housing affordability (caller segment)
• 25:51: Book impact in schools (caller segment)
• 28:27: Maryland as a national model
• 30:35: Governing amid federal dysfunction
• 32:09: On gubernatorial records and bipartisan appeal
• 34:08: Service Year program explained
• 36:28: Playful question about being related to Styles P

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Tone & Language

Moore’s style is direct, data-oriented, and energetic, with moments of humor and vulnerability. The show maintains its trademark mix of serious policy talk, community focus, and playful banter. Charlamagne and Jess bring authentic, sharp questioning, balancing skepticism with respect.

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Transcript

[Podcast Host]

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[Winter Olympics Announcer]

Friday, February 6th, kick off the Winter Olympics in style with the opening ceremony from Italy. Featuring a special performance by Mariah Carey. Celebrate the greatest athletes from around the globe as they come together to go for gold. The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Ilya Malinin, redefining the sport.

[Winter Olympics Announcer]

Friday, February 6th on NBC. And Peacock.

[Dutch Vet Care Advertiser]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care. Go to Dutch.com to get vet care that is always there for just $92 a year.

[Betrayal Podcast Narrator]

In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze. Her husband Mike was on his laptop. What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever.

[Governor Wes Moore]

I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing. And immediately the mask came off. You're supposed to be safe. That's your home.

[Dutch Vet Care Advertiser]

That's your husband.

[Betrayal Podcast Narrator]

Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nav Green]

Hold up.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up.

[Governor Wes Moore]

The Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yep, it's the world's most dangerous morning show. The Breakfast Club. Charlamagne the God. Just hilarious. Mimi Brown is actually sitting in with us right now and we have A special guest. He pops up all the time, man. He is the governor of Maryland and a potential presidential candidate in 2028. But he's running for reelection. He's running for reelection of. For governor right now. Mr. Westmore is here.

[Governor Wes Moore]

What's going on?

[Charlamagne tha God]

How you doing?

[Governor Wes Moore]

Morning. Morning.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Man. I was in the black Wall street area of Baltimore a couple weeks ago at Everybody Loves Brunch with the good brother, Derek Chase. And the way those brothers and people in that restaurant was speaking so highly of you, man, I was like, wow. Like, they were talking about how much you do for the state and how that impacts, you know, communities like the black Wall street area. And you should be proud of that.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Thank you, man. No, listen, I'm proud of them. I mean, you look at someone like, someone like D. Chase, who's just been riding for the community, Shout out to D. Chase and. And when y' all get down to Baltimore, please go check out Everybody Loves Brunch, his new spot. But I'm just, I'm proud of Baltimore, you know what I mean? Like, if you think about what was going on in Baltimore in 2022, right, the whole Inner harbor area was in receivership. Baltimore was averaging almost a homicide a day that we had over 17,000 vacant homes inside of Baltimore. And we were very clear. It was like, no, we're going to move differently. So we said, we're actually going to work with Baltimore instead of against them. Working with the mayor. Shout out Mayor Brandon Scott. You know, we're working with community groups, working with local law enforcement, working with business leaders and say, we're going to turn this thing around. Look at Baltimore right now. Again, just three years since our inauguration, Baltimore, the state of Maryland, has the fastest drop of violent crime anywhere in the United States of America. The last time the homicide rate was this low in Baltimore, I wasn't born yet.

[Caller Adele]

Wow.

[Governor Wes Moore]

We now have a whole new vision for the downtown Inner Harbor. A whole build out. The Baltimore orators are now locked in for a 30 year, for a 30 year deal. Preakness, the crown jewel of the Triple Crown, is going to stay inside of Park Heights. And we are going to invest in Park Heights in the way that it's been neglected for a long period of time. It is the seventh fastest growing economy of any major mid sized cities and city inside the entire country and is now ranked according to Forbes magazine, as the third best place for recent college graduates. Like, we are on the move. Hell yeah. And so I'm so proud that, like, this is a time where it's like Baltimore, stand up. And I'm just, you know, I'm thankful for the work that's happening on earth.

[Charlamagne tha God]

When it, when it comes to Maryland. They say, they say the polls are showing you still holding majority approval, but support is. Has softened. How do you respond to that recent polling data?

[Governor Wes Moore]

I. I don't, I don't even pay attention to it. You know, I mean, it's like I'm very. Listen, I think that people know the work that's happening right now, that since I've been the governor, that we have now added over 35,000 new businesses to the state of Maryland, that we have been able to add nearly 100,000 new jobs that we just made announcements that's bringing. AstraZeneca is making the largest private sector investment in our state's history. That Samsung Biologics is building their first manufacturing unit in the United States. And where are they building it? They're building in the state of Maryland. That the sphere is coming to the state of Maryland. That we've had historic drops within not just violent crime, but historic jumps when it comes to job productivity. And we were ranked 43rd in the country in unemployment and now have. Have an unemployment rate that's significantly lower than national average. So I'm thankful for the fact that, you know, that people seem to like the job that we're doing. And if anybody wants to challenge me, come with it.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's what you were talking about. You said west was leaving $40 on people dresses.

[Governor Wes Moore]

And I'm signing them the $40 electric bill. That's right. That you had. Yeah. How did you come to that number? Well, you know, what happened was, was that we said, what is the overall number that we can do to give people a little bit more support? Because right now we keep on hearing from everybody. I know it's not just a Maryland thing, it national thing, but like these energy bills are crazy. Yeah. And it's the same thing that we've been talking about for the past two and a half years since I've been the governor is saying there's a few things we gotta do. One, we have to increase supply. That's the reason that I'm so big on saying we've got to invest in solar and wind and nuclear technologies because that increases supply, which will bring the prices down. That we have to do more to actually get more projects done. We're part of this thing called the PJM grid, which is 13 states. Maryland is a part of that. And they have been ridiculous in terms of how restricted they are in terms of letting projects happen. If projects are not allowed to go through, then what ends up happening is you are then decreasing supply, which is going to jack up prices. And so I've introduced legislation that's not just going to put money back in people's pockets, giving people a rebate on these energy bills, but also saying we've got to increase projects, we've got to increase supply. That's also going to, you know, help bring people's bills down. Yeah. Oh, and congratulations. Y' all celebrated the major. The major terminal enhancement. I saw it at the Whipping cut, Concourse A B. That's it. Doing your thing. That's BWI talk. You know what I'm saying? That's our. Our airport. That's right. Baltimore. That's right, Baltimore. Washington. Thurgood Marshall Airport. Yes. No, listen, I'm telling you, I'm, I'm. I'm loving how things are moving right now where it's like, you know, I understand what's going on with our feds, and I understand what's going on with the. Yeah. With a partnership that we have with our federal government, which I can talk about all day. But the thing I love about our state is that in Maryland, like, we're not just pushing back, we're pushing forward. And we just want to show people what good governance actually looks like when you have leadership that actually loves the people.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Real quick, maybe I want to go to the $40 energy credit real quick. What do you say to people who say that's not enough?

[Governor Wes Moore]

Well, I would say it isn't enough. You know, that we, we obviously always want to be able to do more for our people, but the best thing that we can do to actually be able to bring prices down is to increase supply. You know? You know, we. I, I have, and I believe very much in all the above energy approach, that our energy approach includes natural gas, but it also includes needs to include solar and wind and nuclear. And so when you have these people who are saying, well, we don't want to do, you know, nuclear, or we don't want to do solar, or. Or we don't want to do offshore wind, what you are essentially doing is you're saying, then we're just going to keep on relying on old structures, the same restricted supply. And I tell people it's economics, it's supply and demand. When demand increases, you have to increase supply or prices jump. And so I actually think we need to do all of it. Get. Put people, put money back in people's pockets and increase supply for energy.

[Interviewer]

You know, Governor, Maryland is home to one of the largest number of federal workers. Right. And with the government shutdown that already happened and one is now possibly looming, how does that, what does that uncertainty look like for the people of Maryland right now?

[Governor Wes Moore]

I mean, it's devastating for us. We've already had, I mean, Donald Trump and J.D. vance have already fired over 25,000 Marylanders federal workers. And we're talking about, and people remember, we're talking about federal workers who are doing things like making sure that our food is safe, who are using their talents to try to find the cures to diseases, who are making sure that our planes are not colliding. Right. And these are the people who Trump and Vance went after first. And so any type of impact like that has a disproportionate impact on us. We've had more people fired by this administration than anyone else in the entire country. And also any shutdown happens is devastating for us. But I also know this is when we're talking about ice, we're talking about a force that has now increased their funding by 750% over the past year. ISIS funding in 2024 was $10 billion. ICE is funding now $85 billion. ICE is now the largest law enforcement agency in this entire country. Bigger than the FBI, bigger than the atf, bigger than the dea. And what are they doing, arresting five year olds, killing American citizens? And where do they, where do people think that money is coming from, that 10 to $85 billion? You know, it's coming from, it's coming from your health care, it's coming from food assistance. So I, you know, so listen, I am never for government shutdowns because I know it impacts me and my people more than any other governor in this country. But I also know this, we can't allow this to keep on happening. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So, you know, I mean, because right now they're voting, or they were supposed to vote this morning. So would you agree with what Democrats are doing they're holding out for to keep that funding from happening right now as they, you know, try and keep ICE from getting that funding.

[Governor Wes Moore]

I think if the American people knew that your health care just got cut so we could continue to fund the 13th largest military force in the world. They are putting people in our streets who literally weeks ago were sitting on our couch playing video games and now they're walking around our neighborhoods with guns. They are many of these people, they are untrained, they are unqualified, and they're unaccountable. And so I think if the American people know that the reason that food assistance is now getting cut is because we can continue putting together the kind of ridiculous increases and lack of accountability, and then when these tragedies happen, we get gaslit. Yeah. By. By, by Kristi Noem. Nah, man. I think the American people would think very different.

[Interviewer]

And we know that ICE is a big problem in Minnesota. How big is it in Maryland right now?

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's.

[Governor Wes Moore]

I mean, it's a problem everywhere. Yeah. And, you know, we're watching this surge in, in Minnesota. That is. That, again, does not make sense when you're actually talking about what is the. What is the. What is the problem you're actually trying to address. But, but the reality is, you were watching how this is taking place in most cities all around the country, and particularly for a lot of our cities, we're the ones being targeted.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You know, I feel like in staying on ice, I feel like in this year's midterms, the Trump administration may use ice, which I believe is just Trump's personal army at this point. I feel like he's going to use them to disrupt or intimidate voters at polling places. Is that a concern for you? And as governor of Maryland, how do you prevent that from happening?

[Governor Wes Moore]

It's a major concern. I mean, like. And they're not even hiding it. It's like when they say, listen, we can. We'll back out if you give her your voter files. What does one have to do with the other? They are very clear about what's happening, that there is an intentional disenfranchisement that is now trying to take place. Where? Where? And it's a part of the reason that I've been so hard on this redistricting push in the state of Maryland. When people are like, well, it's only one seat. I was like, it's not about one seat. It's about democracy. And are you willing to fight or not? Because right now, and I tell people, it is very personal to me, because it's personally. Because there has been no state that has been more impacted by the Trump Vance administration than the state of Maryland. When you're looking at job cuts, when you look at the fact we've had billions of dollars taken away from our balance sheet, we have not received a single dollar in federal disaster relief. In fact, no state that has not voted for Donald Trump has received a dollar. So it's personal for that reason, but also it is personal because I am the only black governor in this country, and I'm the third African American ever elected governor in the history of America. And when I'm watching the political redlining that they are doing, when I'm watching the way they are redlining in Texas and Florida and Ohio and North Carolina, ask Jasmine Crockett about the redlining that's taking place in her district. Ask Jim Clyburn. Ask Emmanuel Cleaver, right, about what's taking place. And now they're trying to go after the Voting Rights act and they want our voter files. Like, guys, they are playing in our face in broad daylight. And so, no, I'm not going to sit down and be quiet. And so I'm really proud of the work that in Maryland right now, the Maryland House of Delegates, led by and shout out to Jocelyn Pena Melnick, the Maryland speaker of the House, the first Afro Latina to ever hold that position, is leading the charge and saying no. If the rest of the country is going to have a conversation about what does a fair map look like and and a map that actually represents the will of the people, then so will Maryland. So it's working its way to the House. And then as the as it works makes its way to the Senate, our ask is very simple. Do what the House just did.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh, so you are going to do the redistricting or one.

[Governor Wes Moore]

100%. Got you 100.

[Podcast Host]

About that very.

[Governor Wes Moore]

And, and, and, and I'm not. And I'm not backing down and I'm not playing. I'm not. And I'm not going to blink on this one. It's like y' all take it to the floor, debate it, make adjustments if you want, but vote. We're not gonna let y' all sit behind not voting.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So what do you do as governor? ICE pulls up midterm election day. They got they guns, they have polls. You hearing stories about them keeping people from voting. What does the governor then do?

[Governor Wes Moore]

Well, I mean, we're already working with our attorney General to make sure that our, that our voting, that our voting booths are safe and free, make sure we're protecting mail in voting, which the President has already said he's gonna try to go after. What the President is gonna remember is that the President does not have ultimate power, that voting actually is a state function. And so that's why for governors, for attorney generals, for independent voting commissions, like we have in the state of Maryland, like, we're going to do our job, we're going to make sure we're going to protect the voice of our people, we're going to protect democracy, and we are not going to, you know, we're not going to give up our voter files because we somehow think that that's going to influence anything else you do around us.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Could you break that down for people who don't know? Like when they hear the feds ran up in Georgia and took the voter roll, what does that mean?

[Governor Wes Moore]

Well, I mean, what it means is that. So when you're looking at the fact that they're looking at the election of 2020, and first, let's put this in context, as if anybody thinks that's a main priority issue for people trying to pay their electricity bills, for people who are watching the price of beef go up 21%, you know, and now they're like, and the president spending his time on the 2020 election. That's his priority. But what they're trying to do now, they're trying to look for infractions for the 2020 election, which, by the way, has already been done. And every single court case that came up on this has been turned down. Every judge that says there's nothing to see here but the President of the United States, instead of focusing on making sure that life can be a little bit more affordable, instead of focusing on housing prices, is focusing on himself. And what happened in 2020, that's the focus of this administration.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Lord have mercy. We're talking to Governor Westmore. We're going to talk to Governor Westmore some more when we come back. Some more when we come back. Governor Westmore some more when we come back.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Yes, name more because you got a more sitting right here.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yes, that is true. You know, I want to ask you, Governor Moore, there were whistleblower allegations involving Maryland's handling of SNAP benefits, and your office denied it. What do you say to residents who worry about transparency and accountability there?

[Governor Wes Moore]

Well, no, we worry about transparency and accountability. You know, when I, when I first came on board, one of the first people that I hired was a chief performance officer whose job it is and has been working with every single one of our state agencies to make sure we are running an efficient government, to make sure we are addressing any issues of, of, of, of waste or abuse. And if there is issues of criminal behavior or fraud, we make sure we prosecute people in the state of Maryland. So everybody knows that. The, the thing about this allegation is, is, you know, I don't know about what conversations people have. I'm a results guy, and here are the results. When I first became the governor, Maryland was second in the country in SNAP error rate, which means we want the highest error rates inside the country. We came in and we said we've got to deal with this issue and bring this down. Since I've been the governor, the snap error rate has dropped by 60% amongst the fastest drop in the entire country. And we now have additional resources to continue bringing the rate down. So, so my point is this. I, I look at results and I look at numbers and the numbers are showing that our administration has done amongst the best job in the country of bringing down the snap error rate. And we're going to keep on doing that.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Would you support an independent investigation to put the issue just fully to rest?

[Governor Wes Moore]

Well, we, we have, we have this process going on through our entire state. Got you already right now. So we're, we're cooperating with all this stuff. And so I, I, you know, I, I understand that, you know, people are trying to, you know, people trying to pick and find, etc, but the reality is we cooperate with all independent work because, and also our results show for that.

[Caller Adele]

Right.

[Interviewer]

You know, Charlamagne brought up earlier about the voter rolls in Georgia. Did the Trump administration come to Maryland and ask for your vote?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Absolutely.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Absolutely. And I've told him, you ain't getting that. But what, what do you need it for? Like, it has, it has nothing to do with anything that y' all are doing. It has nothing to do with your work. And so we protect our people's information. You protect our people's data. Listen, they know, like I, I always tell people, like, listen, I'm a soldier, y'.

[Charlamagne tha God]

All.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Yeah, I'm a soldier. And we fight for our people. So no, we're, we're not, we're not, we are not cooperating.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And I don't feel like you told them. Nah, you ain't getting that. I feel like you probably told him, man, go, fuck off. Go to hell.

[Governor Wes Moore]

That's probably close, you know, I mean.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Let'S take some calls. Who we got on the line? R. Good morning. Who's this?

[Winter Olympics Announcer]

Friday, February 6th, kick off the Winter Olympics in style with the opening ceremony from Italy. Featuring a special performance by Mariah Carey. Celebrate the greatest athletes from around the globe as they come together to go for gold. The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Ilia Malin redefining this sport.

[Winter Olympics Announcer]

Friday, February 6th on NBC. And Peacock.

[Dutch Vet Care Advertiser]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care. Go to Dutch.com to get vet care that is always there for just $92 a year.

[Betrayal Podcast Narrator]

In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze. Her husband Mike was on his laptop. What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever.

[Governor Wes Moore]

I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing. And immediately the mask came off. You're supposed to be safe.

[Dutch Vet Care Advertiser]

That's your home. That's your husband.

[Betrayal Podcast Narrator]

To keep this secret for so many years.

[Governor Wes Moore]

He's like a seasoned pro.

[Betrayal Podcast Narrator]

This is a story about the end of a marriage, but it's also the story of one woman who was done living in the dark.

[Governor Wes Moore]

You're a dangerous person who preys on vulnerable and trusting people. You're a predator. Michael Levengood.

[Betrayal Podcast Narrator]

Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nav Green]

This show contains information subject to but not limited to personal takes, rumors, not so accurate stats, and plenty more. What's up, man? This your boy Nav Green from the Broken Play podcast. Look, it's the end of the season. The playoffs are here. But guess what? It ain't the end of your season. You can always tune in with Broken Play podcast with Nav Green on the Black Effect podcast network. Another team who ain't going to the playoff? The Chiefs. What's a wrap? It's time to rebuild. Who your MVP right now then Drake.

[Governor Wes Moore]

May up there, Josh Allen up there still.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh, my boy Matthew Stafford.

[Podcast Host]

Where did Nicks at?

[Governor Wes Moore]

He ain't too far behind. He did all this talking.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What Matthew Stafford is doing statistically, bro, is crazy.

[Nav Green]

Bro, you know I ain't no Josh Allen fan, but Matthew Stafford got better weapon. Caleb Williams.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Hey, he should be in that conversation. In what conversation?

[Nav Green]

He should be in it. Listen to Broken Play with Nav Green from the Black Effect podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Caller Adele]

Hey, good morning. This is Adele.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Adele.

[Caller Adele]

Yes, sir.

[Governor Wes Moore]

That's that man.

[Charlamagne tha God]

There's a man named a singer. Okay, good morning. Today you gotta.

[Caller Adele]

Yes, you know me. I'm Mr. Baltimore too.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Hey, You got. You got a question for your governor? Adele?

[Caller Adele]

Yes, sir. First of all, Governor Westmore, I want to appreciate you for all you're Doing from Maryland. You're doing a great job.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Thanks, brother. Respect.

[Caller Adele]

Good point this morning about the housing prices. And I was wondering, like, what plans do you have since you can do. What can I do myself? I'm in a town home right now with a family of four of us, and we're just with bills and work and trying to afford even just a down payment for a house. And then the cost for the mortgages are so high in Maryland. I was wondering if you had any plans to make that better. And we're working out play myself for my family.

[Charlamagne tha God]

He's talking about Trump raising the housing prices but lowering the interest rates.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Right.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I want to.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, Adele. Shout out, man. And. And good to talk to you. You know, it's interesting. I have been probably one of the most aggressive governors in the country since we came on board on housing because, you know, I know that housing plays a really interesting role because housing has been. Housing is the greatest pusher of poverty, housing security in. In the country, but also the other side is it's also the greatest pusher of wealth. Right. So housing kind of sits at the barbell. And part of the reason we put so much focus on it and we've really been focusing on creating more inventory, creating more options for people to become homeowners, more options for renters to be able to build their homes. Adele, you should actually check out legislation that we got passed that actually helps support. Help support not just first time home buyers, but also renters to put for down payment assistance for them to be able to buy homes. Also, part of the reason that we are focusing on. On this inventory issue is making it easier for people to be able to build. One of the challenges we've always had was that, you know, there were local land commissioners who were like, no, we're not doing this. We're not doing that. I'm like, how does a local land commissioner have more power than the governor? Yeah. And so I said, so actually I actually signed an executive order last year where I said, I want an inventory of all state owned land in the state of Maryland. And it just so happens in Maryland owns. The state of Maryland owns more land than anyone else in the state of Maryland. And I said, good, I want an inventory of all of it and I want to be able to build housing on all of it. So I signed an executive order where we said, now we're actually working to say, let's focus on things like density bonuses, let's focus on transit oriented development. Let's focus on things that particularly on state owned land where people should not be able to tell the governor, no, we're not doing this, or no, we're not doing that. So, so you'll, you'll see. I mean, and we've had a significant increase in, and not just housing starts, but housing completions and also opportunities to be able to buy into it. So we're working with our local folks to make it happen. But we're not playing like, if you want to focus on addressing the issue of poverty and if you want to focus on the issue of actually increasing wealth, it all comes back to one simple answer. Housing.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Thank you. Adele, line six is a Brooklyn school teacher who's using your books in her classroom. Governor, good morning. Who's this? What's your name?

[Ms. James, Brooklyn Teacher]

Good morning. My name is Ms. James. I am an ELA teacher in Brooklyn, New York. And we currently just wrapped up reading the Other Westmore. We are analyzing what shapes a person, their environment, what shapes their identity. And it's so funny because today we have a walk in tour where we're analyzing two different neighborhoods and the students have to write a thesis. This is a high school student, by the way, on environment. So thank you for writing such an amazing book that kids in New York City can relate to. And as an English teacher, I think that every English teacher, every English class in Brooklyn should use that book as part of the curriculum for 12th graders.

[Governor Wes Moore]

That's amazing. Shout out, Ms. Jane.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Ms. Jane.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Man, shout out and God bless you and thank you for your work and your service too. And shout out to your students too. I really appreciate y'. All. You know, it's. When I wrote that book, I never expected that it would be made curriculum. In fact, I always tell students I feel bad for that because I know how popular mandatory reading was when I was coming up. But. But you know, and you remind me of a conversation I actually had with Wes when I asked him, I said, so do you think there were products of our environments and.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Which was.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Sorry, sorry. Because myself just asked myself, no, but yeah, the story is that, that around the same time that I received a Rhodes Scholarship, that I learned about a guy who was involved in a robbery that killed an off duty police officer. And the more I learned about this story, the more I learned about him. And his name was also Wes Moore and the amount of parallels that we have within our life. And I remember I was seeing him and I asked him, I said, do you think that we're products of our environments? And he looked back at me and he said, actually I think we're products of our expectations, and that always sat with me. And so part of the reason, Ms. Jane, just much love and respect, is because, you know, the expectations that we put on our kids, it's amazing how much they either live up to them or how much they live down to them.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Man. Is Governor Westmore. He's running for reelection of governor of Maryland right now. Potential 20, 28 candidate, we don't know. I think you got a lot of dope policies in Maryland, I think would work on the national level, you know.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Well, I don't disagree with that. Yes, I don't disagree with that.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So, you know, Maryland's a model. You know, Maryland's a model.

[Interviewer]

So, Governor, we're used to seeing you as the governor of Maryland.

[Dutch Vet Care Advertiser]

Right.

[Interviewer]

But I saw a clip. Right, and who knew you had singing chops? Richard Smallwood's funeral. You center of My Joy. I mean, what took over you in that moment?

[Governor Wes Moore]

It runs in the family, first of all. But go ahead. It sure does. It sure does. And, you know, so, you know, one, I was just. I was honored and proud that the family asked me to speak at his funeral. I mean, he was a legend, one of the greatest gospel artists that we've had, and he was a Marylander. And so. And so when we got up there, we were giving tribute, and I said, how this man, he basically did, like, the soundtrack of our salvation as we were coming up. And I let people know. It's like, listen, I'm proud to be a governor and all that kind of stuff, but number one, I'm a child of God. Like, I know who woke me up this morning.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's right.

[Governor Wes Moore]

And I know who put me to bed, who will put me to bed tonight. I know who orders my steps. And so when I was getting up there and talking about him and I started reciting some of the lyrics to, you know, center of My Joy, it just kind of hit me. I just started singing, jesus, you're the center of my joy. Oh, that's good. You know, and all that's good and perfect comes from you.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Because I believe that. I believe that Jesus is the center of our joy. That.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That. That.

[Governor Wes Moore]

That he guides our path and he orders our steps and. And he watches our words and he protects us. And so that's the reason I know that, like, when I walk around, I walk around with the greatest hedge of protection, because I'll walk around with God's love and God's grace. And so then my wife, who can really sing, she's like, I cannot believe you just sang a Richard Smallwood song at Richard Smallwood's Homegoing. And I said, that's right. You marry someone bold.

[Interviewer]

I guess it was so good.

[Charlamagne tha God]

How the hell did she feel when you saying bring the pain at the Daily Show?

[Governor Wes Moore]

You showing range here. Listen. From Wu Deranged, from, From Wuang to Richard Smallwood. What you got? Maryland. Look what y' all signed up for.

[Dutch Vet Care Advertiser]

That's right.

[Interviewer]

But with that said, what's the hardest part of trying to govern right now with Washington being so polarized? You know?

[Governor Wes Moore]

You know, I, I, I think that the people of our state know that we're gonna focus on the things that matter to them. We're gonna focus on making our state more affordable. We're gonna focus on making sure that our state is more competitive. But most importantly, they know that in me, I'm a protector by nature. Right. I protect my people. And that includes my state and includes all six and a half million of them. And I think that, you know, whether, whether you're talking about making sure that our kids in Baltimore are getting everything that they need to achieve their joy, or whether it is talking about what happened in western Maryland where when they had historic flooding and got no support from Kristi Noem. You know, when people talk about, is Kristi Noem qualified? I said, I could have told him she wasn't qualified months ago when she turned around. When she turned around and gave western Maryland, by the way, a state that voted, seven of 10 people in Western Maryland voted for Donald Trump and told them that support for Maryland is not warranted. But I'm gonna fight for them just as hard as I'm gonna fight for my kids in Baltimore. And so I think that it's a challenging time for people to govern, no doubt about it. But I also know it's never been a more important time. And you know what matters to people? Who your governor is.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Who your mayor is, who your attorney general is. Because for many of us, you become both the last line of defense against this assault that we're seeing from the federal government. But also you become the ones that can show what right should actually look like.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Do you realize how important your record is going to become, you know, 2028, if you decide to run? Because I feel like the American people, you know, yeah, we've seen the celebrity thing. We know people can go out there and cut through with media, but I really think people are gonna be paying attention to records. That's why I think it's going to be a governor that comes out as the front runner in 2028. Do you think about that?

[Governor Wes Moore]

Well, I mean, here's what I. Here's what I do think about is I think you're absolutely right, that no one is going to want to hear who had the quickest lines or who had this. What have you done to make people's lives better? That's right. What have you done to show what an alternative can actually look like? And I'm really proud of the work that we have done in the state of Maryland to protect our people in good times and bad times. Like, we make sure that our people are good. But I think it does go back to, you know, when I first ran for office, I was not the party's choice. You know what I mean? There were 12 other people running against me, and all of them were lifelong politicos, county executives, statewide elected officials. The head of the Democratic Party ran, and then me, the guy who had never run for office for. In my life, a guy who, frankly comes from a family, who my family is used to suffering the consequences of policies, not making the policies. And so when people were trying to say, like, what do you think the future of the Democratic Party is in our state? My answer is, I can't tell you that because I'm not taking, you know, I'm not taking account for some of the stuff. And frankly, on some of the stuff, I can't defend the indefensible. But what I can tell you is this. I can tell you what I think the future of my state should be. I can't tell you about party politics. I can tell you about what I think the future of the direction that my people should advance in. And that's how we've just continued our league.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's all I've been looking at. Like, you know, when I look at some of the things you've been doing in Maryland, like the service year and apprenticeship program. Yeah, I know that can work on a national level. Tell people what that is and why I can work on a national.

[Governor Wes Moore]

Yeah, well, you know, it's funny, because I remember when I led soldiers in Afghanistan, and I remember when I started running for governor, I had people who I served with in Afghanistan who came and campaigned for me, and many of them were not Marylanders, and many of them were not Democrats, but they were literally going door to door, knocking on doors and being like, I just want to tell you about the guy that I served with. And, you know, but it made me remember that, like, in this time of this political divisiveness and political vitriol, that service will save us. And so we made Maryland the first state in the country that now has a service year option for all of our high school graduates. Every high school graduate now has a chance to do a paid year of service to the state of Maryland. They get paid while they're doing their work, and they get a $6,000 stipend at the end of it, so they can use towards whatever they want to use towards. And the only thing we ask them is just tell us what makes your heart beat a little bit faster. Is it young people? Is it veterans? Is it animals? Is it the environment? Is it older? Just tell us. And we're going to give you a paid experience to go live that out and to go change the world. And so we're now seeing how, you know, Maryland started it, but we're now seeing states all over the country that are now modeling the work that we did around our service year. That's amazing.

[Interviewer]

Some of your earlier support, earliest support came from others across the aisle. You've always, you know, been able to bring in a coalition of bipartisan support.

[Governor Wes Moore]

That's right, Mimi. And, you know, it was really interesting because when we announced. That's exactly right. When we announced our reelection, some of the first people that came out were mayors and county executives who were Republicans who were like, listen, when the governor says that he's going to build a table that's big enough for all of us, he means it. And one thing they know about me is this is like, I'm not some, like, partisan hack man. Like, I'm not a. Like, I don't, I don't believe in any of that stuff. I believe, do you care about the people or not? And so even. And when they came out and endorsed me, all these Republicans with the day I announced reelection, they said, listen, I'm not saying I agree with the governor and everything, but what I am saying is this. If we disagree on Tuesday, he's gonna invite us back on Wednesday and say, what else can we work on? And they're like, and that's all we can ask for.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You know, before you go Governor, there's a question I have to ask you. I hate to ask you. This might be a little controversial.

[Governor Wes Moore]

That's all right.

[Charlamagne tha God]

But every time you come, people like, why didn't you ask? Why didn't you ask, are you related to Styles P? Everybody always wants to know, are you related to Styles P? Everybody says, sp we look alike.

[Governor Wes Moore]

All I'm all I'M saying is you've never seen us in a room together. Damn, damn, damn, damn. Listen, I do. I. I do. Jesus, you're the center of my joy, but I also. Do I get high, too?

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's Governor Westmore at the Breakfast Club.

[Nav Green]

Hold up.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club.

[Governor Wes Moore]

We all finish or y' all done?

[Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.