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| - Moore said in an X post following the remark that he misspoke. Immediately after the comment, he said, "Our priority is the American people, the American family, the working family, the veteran's family, and the like."
In late May 2026, social media users claimed U.S. Rep. Blake Moore of Utah, who serves as vice chair of the House Republican Conference, said the Republican Party would prioritize putting "government ahead of Americans." Many people online shared the purported statement to criticize Republican leaders and their policies.
Numerous posts included a short clip that appeared to show Moore making the remark during a news conference. Snopes readers asked us to confirm whether Moore made such a statement.
The above clip is authentic and was not manipulated by artificial intelligence or other digital editing tools. Moore said, "Our Republican priority will always be to be putting government ahead of Americans."
However, social media posts shared Moore's comment out of context by omitting his subsequent remarks. Immediately after the comment, Moore said the Republican party's priority is "the American people" and later admitted he misspoke. As such, we've rated this claim correctly attributed but with necessary context added.
Moore's statement can be found in this Associated Press livestream of a May 20 news conference with Republican leaders. He was discussing Republican efforts to support military veterans ahead of Memorial Day weekend. Below is a transcript of his remarks (emphasis ours):
This week, we're continuing that work with common-sense legislation to strengthen veterans' benefits, protect those who served and deliver on promises we've made. Because this is what common sense leadership looks like. We honor sacrifice not just with words but with action. And that's where a clear contrast is. Our Republican priority will always be to be putting government ahead of Americans. Our priority is the American people, the American family, the working family, the veteran's family, and the like. Bottom line, we will always stand for those who stood for us, not just on Memorial Day, but every single day.
Moore made the comments at the 1:49 mark:
That same day, Moore said in an X post that the remark was a gaffe, writing, "I clearly misspoke. This is why my wife tells me I shouldn't take the red eye!"
For further reading, Snopes has previously covered purported gaffes made by U.S. President Donald Trump and former U.S. President Joe Biden.
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