<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Governor Wes Moore (D-MD) stated that the Trump administration prevented him from speaking at the groundbreaking of an Anduril facility in Baltimore County.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">During a press conference on Tuesday, Moore took credit for the facility's construction, which broke ground that day and is intended to produce critical components for Virginia-class submarines. He indicated that the Trump administration did not allow him a speaking role at the event, leading him to decline attendance.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We have been working with them for over a year to bring them on board, and we’re excited about what it’s going to mean to the area,” Moore said. “But if the president of the United States wants to bring the circus into town and tell me that I’m not allowed to speak, to the fact that we were the ones that helped bring the deal, then I will let the circus be conducted while I go back to the work of the people of Maryland.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The White House responded to Moore's comments, suggesting he was being ungrateful after receiving an invitation to the event.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“It’s unfortunate that the Governor is now making a multi-billion dollar announcement about himself by throwing a tantrum over an announcement that will bring sorely needed jobs back to his state thanks to President Trump,” the White House stated, as reported by the Hill.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense/4755160/anduril-navy-billions-investment-baltimore-facility-critical-components-submarines/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ANDURIL AND THE NAVY ANNOUNCE $6.6 BILLION INVESTMENT IN NEW FACILITY TO BUILD CRITICAL COMPONENTS FOR SUBMARINES</a></strong></p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The facility, named Arsenal-2, spans 2 million square feet and is part of a $2.9 billion contract awarded to Anduril by the Navy. It will manufacture torpedo tubes for submarines constructed by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding. Various companies are involved in producing different components of military weapons.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Shipbuilding has emerged as a bipartisan issue, as the U.S. has transitioned from being the leading shipbuilder in the 20th century to largely outsourcing this expensive process. Officials anticipate that Arsenal-2 will help improve the slow pace of U.S. naval shipbuilding.</p>