The National Governors Association (NGA) has canceled its annual White House meeting after President Trump reportedly invited only Republican governors to this year’s gathering.
The meeting has traditionally been bipartisan, providing an opportunity for governors from both parties to meet with one another and the president during the NGA’s winter session in Washington.
“Because NGA’s mission is to represent all 55 governors, the Association is no longer serving as the facilitator for that event, and it is no longer included in our official program,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) wrote in a Monday letter announcing plans to forgo the meeting.
Stitt emphasized that the administration’s decision should not fracture the association.
“We cannot allow one divisive action to achieve its goal of dividing us,” he wrote. “The solution is not to respond in kind, but to rise above and to remain focused on our shared duty to the people we serve. America’s governors have always been models of pragmatic leadership, and that example is most important when Washington grows distracted by politics.”
The NGA is scheduled to meet in Washington from Feb. 19–21.
Following Stitt’s announcement, 18 Democratic governors said they would skip the White House dinner, citing ongoing tensions with the current administration.
The New York Times first reported Friday that Trump did not invite Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), the nation’s only Black governor and NGA vice chair, or Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) to the bipartisan dinner traditionally held for governors and their families.
“If the reports are true that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year,” the group said in a statement.
“Democratic governors remain united and will never stop fighting to protect and make life better for people in our states,” the governors added.
Gov. Moore also expressed concern over the reported exclusion, calling it a departure from the spirit of bipartisan cooperation.
“My peers, both Democrats and Republicans, selected me to serve as the Vice Chair of the NGA, another reason why it’s hard not to see this decision as another example of blatant disrespect and a snub to the spirit of bipartisan federal-state partnership,” Moore said in a statement.
“As the nation’s only Black governor, I can’t ignore that being singled out for exclusion from this bipartisan tradition carries an added weight — whether that was the intent or not,” he added.
Moore noted that governors from both parties had recently worked with the administration on energy-related reforms.
“What makes it especially confounding is that just weeks ago I was at the White House with a bipartisan group of governors, working with the administration on reforms to lower energy costs and strengthen grid reliability,” he said. “We proved in that moment what’s possible when we stay focused on outcomes over politics.”
