Overview
- Gov. Wes Moore delivered a roughly 17-minute speech at the Maryland State House in Annapolis titled "The Work of Patriotism."
- He said patriotism today means service and sacrifice and warned that nationalism narrows the idea by centering loyalty to a person or group.
- Moore linked his remarks to the 250th anniversary of the nation and to the State House’s history where George Washington once surrendered his commission to add symbolic weight.
- He urged Americans to "have faith, not fear," saying fear "is the accelerant of nationalism" and faith "is the foundation of patriotism."
- Political analysts and local reporting said the speech was also political positioning that set his civic message against the president’s National Mall rally and could shape his re-election and national profile.