A bipartisan tradition turns political. Why are two Democratic governors excluded from Trump’s White House invite list?
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has invited nearly every U.S. governor — Democrat and Republican alike — to a long-standing bipartisan meeting at the White House next week, carving out two exceptions: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
The annual session, organized in connection with the National Governors Association (NGA), has traditionally served as a rare moment of cross-party dialogue between state leaders and the president. This year’s gathering, scheduled for Feb. 20, instead ignited confusion and partisan friction.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump asserted that invitations “were sent to ALL governors” except Moore and Polis. He also criticized Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the NGA chair, calling him a “RINO” — Republican in name only — and accusing him of misrepresenting the White House’s position.
Trump’s statement appeared to contradict earlier communications from NGA officials. Last week, the group said it had been informed by the White House that only Republican governors would be invited to the Feb. 20 business meeting. As a result, NGA leaders said they removed the event from their formal agenda, citing the association’s bipartisan mission.
Shortly before Trump’s post, NGA Chief Executive Brandon Tatum said Stitt had spoken with the White House and that all governors from “all 55 states and territories” would attend. In an email obtained by NBC News, Stitt told fellow governors that Trump had been “very clear” that the event was intended for the full NGA membership and that a scheduling misunderstanding had been addressed.
Complicating matters further, a source familiar with the situation said Moore had received an invitation Wednesday afternoon, prior to Trump’s public statement. A spokesperson for Polis declined to confirm whether Colorado had been formally invited, but said the governor remained focused on bipartisan cooperation regardless of the administration’s posture.
The status of a separate governors’ dinner, typically held alongside the business session, remains uncertain.
The dispute underscores how even routine Washington traditions can become flashpoints in an era of heightened political polarization. What was once a symbolic display of federal-state partnership has, at least for now, become another test of party lines — and presidential messaging.
