Governors Association Cancels White House Meeting After Democratic Governors Excluded

The National Governors Association (NGA) has removed a scheduled White House meeting from its official program after the administration limited invitations to Republican governors, ending a long-standing bipartisan tradition. On Tuesday, 18 Democratic governors announced they will boycott a traditional White House dinner scheduled for later this month, citing reports that the administration excluded specific members from the guest list. NGA Chairman Kevin Stitt, a Republican, informed members on Monday that the association would no longer facilitate the February 20 event because the White House intended to restrict the business meeting to Republicans.

NGA CEO Brandon Tatum stated that the decision to make the meeting a "partisan occasion" was disappointing and undermined opportunities for federal-state collaboration. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the move on Tuesday, stating that the president has "discretion to invite anyone he wants" to his home and the "people's house." She added that if invited officials choose not to attend, "that's their loss."

The boycott follows reports that Maryland Governor Wes Moore, the NGA vice chair, and Colorado Governor Jared Polis were not invited to the dinner. Moore suggested his race may have influenced the decision, stating it was "particularly painful" to be excluded as the nation's only Black governor. The NGA, which represents 55 governors, stated it will no longer use resources to support transportation for the White House activity.