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Trump says he’s still excluding two Democratic governors from WH meeting
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he’s still not inviting two Democratic governors to a bipartisan meeting and dinner next week at the White House, despite the National Governors Association suggesting the president agreed to meet with all its members.
Trump reaffirmed in a Feb. 11 Truth Social Post that he won’t meet with Governors Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado. The NGA, in a statement just hours earlier, applauded Trump for agreeing to “welcome governors from all 55 states and territories to the White House,” regardless of their party affiliation.
Trump disputed that characterization and lashed out at Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican and the chairman of the NGA, who spoke to Trump by phone earlier in the day. Trump said Stitt “incorrectly stated my position” about the upcoming gathering with governors.
“The invitations were sent to ALL Governors, other than two, who I feel are not worthy of being there,” Trump said.
More: Democratic governors boycott White House dinner after Trump snubs 2 leaders
The NGA, which represents the nation’s governors, earlier in the week backed out from coordinating the historically bipartisan meeting, citing Trump’s plans to only invite Republican governors and not any Democrats.
But in his Truth Social post, Trump disputed that those were ever his plans, insisting he disinvited only Moore and Polis from both the meeting and dinner.
“I even invited the SLOB of a Governor, JB Pritzker, and horrendous California Governor, Gavin Newscum, to the Dinner, despite the terrible job that they are doing. As usual with him, Stitt got it WRONG!” Trump said. “The Invitations were sent out to all other Governors, Democrat and Republican. I look forward to seeing the Republican Governors, and some of the Democratic Governors who were worthy of being invited, but most of whom won’t show up.”
President Donald Trump hosts a business session with U.S. governors who are in town for the National Governors Association’s (NGA) annual winter meeting, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 21, 2025.
Trump says why he’s singling out Moore, Polis
The meeting and dinner are scheduled to take place when the NGA meets in Washington, DC, from Feb. 19 to 21. But it’s unclear whether any Democrats will attend.
The exclusions of Moore and Polis prompted 18 Democratic governors on Feb. 10 to announce plans to boycott the White House events. That includes multiple potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders such as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the DGA’s vice chair; California Gov. Gavin Newsom; Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker; and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
More: Trump excludes two Democrats from White House dinner with governors
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and
In disinviting Polis, Trump pointed to Colorado’s continued imprisonment of Tina Peters, a former county clerk convicted of multiple crimes for letting someone access data from a secure voting system in an effort to prove unsubstantiated 2020 election conspiracies.
Trump referred to Moore as “the foul-mouthed Governor of Maryland,” accusing him of allowing Baltimore to “continue to be a Crime Disaster” and bringing up a past controversy over whether Moore had wrongfully claimed receiving a Bronze Star from his military service before formally awarded the Bronze Star in 2024 for his service in Afghanistan.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Feb. 10 briefing with reporters that Trump “has the discretion to invite whomever he wants to the White House, and he welcomes all those who received an invitation to come.”
“And if they don’t want to, that’s their loss,” Leavitt said.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says he’s still excluding two Democratic governors from meeting