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President Donald Trump agreed Wednesday to meet with governors from across the country at an annual White House gathering next week, regardless of party affiliation, after criticism over the initial exclusion of Democrats.
The shift followed a phone conversation between the president and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who chairs the National Governors Association. The NGA had previously stepped back from organizing the meeting after reports that Democratic governors were not invited.
“We’re pleased the president will welcome governors from all 55 states and territories to the White House,” NGA CEO Brandon Tatum said in a statement obtained by USA Today.
“The bipartisan White House governors meeting is a valued tradition and an important opportunity to build bridges and hold constructive conversations. The NGA looks forward to continued collaboration between governors and the White House,” he added.
The White House event is part of a three-day summit in Washington scheduled for Feb. 19 through Feb. 21. The governors’ meeting and a related dinner are set for Feb. 20.
It remains unclear whether a group of Democratic governors who had announced a boycott of the dinner will reverse course. The boycott followed reports that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis were excluded from the event.
“This week, I learned that I was uninvited to this year’s National Governors Association dinner — a decades-long annual tradition meant to bring governors from both parties together to build bonds and celebrate a shared service to our citizens with the President of the United States,” Moore posted to X on Sunday.
“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. 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, oddly suggesting the exclusion was due to race.