Trump says governors from both parties are invited to White House, except 2 Democrats

President Trump said Wednesday that nearly all governors have been invited to the White House for a formal meeting and dinner next week, but the Democratic governors of Maryland and Colorado are still being excluded.

white house I will initially exclude Democratic governors from a formal, bipartisan business meeting held Feb. 20 during the annual National Governors Association (NGA) conference, according to a source familiar with the NGA and White House planning.

And two Democratic governors, Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado, said they were informed by the NGA last Friday that they would not be invited to a separate dinner with the president, governors and their spouses at the White House on Feb. 21.

But after talks between the White House and Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who chairs the NGA, the organization and the president said in a statement Wednesday that governors from both parties would be welcome at both the meeting and the dinner. Democratic governors began receiving invitations to the business meeting Wednesday evening, but the NGA received no updates on the White House dinner.

Governor Stitt notified the governors of all 55 states and territories on Wednesday that everyone is invited to the official meeting on February 20.

“He was very clear in his communication with me that this is an event of the National Governors Association, and he looks forward to hosting you and hearing from governors across the country. President Trump has always said that was his intention, and we have addressed misunderstandings in the planning,” Stitt wrote in a message to governors obtained by CBS News.

One Wednesday afternoon Real Social post After Stitt’s message was sent, Mr. Trump wrote that Moore and Polis were still excluded. He claimed there was a misunderstanding between him and Stitt.

“Invitations were sent to ALL Governors except two who I felt were not worthy of being there.” he wrote, adding that he even “invited” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and California Governor Gavin Newsom, two of his political enemies. “So, as usual, Stitt got it WRONG! Invitations were sent to all the other Governors, Democrat and Republican.”

Moore has been invited to a formal meeting on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the matter.

It is unclear whether Polis also received an invitation to this meeting. “No matter what event Colorado is or isn’t invited to, Governor Polis will remain focused on working with his fellow governors and anyone who wants to help make people’s lives better,” a spokesperson for Colorado’s governor said. CBS News reached out to the White House.

NGA said it was informed from the White House on Feb. 5 that only Republican governors would be invited to the official business meeting. Because of these exclusions, the NGA said the next day that it would not facilitate this meeting or put it on the group’s official schedule. Stitt reiterated that in a letter to governors Monday, defending Moore as “an exceptional vice president” for the NGA.

Following reports that Democratic governors were excluded from the meeting, nearly every Democratic governor issued a joint statement Tuesday saying they would not attend any White House events, including the dinner, in solidarity with Moore and Polis.

In his post on Wednesday, Mr. Trump cited disagreement over the jailing of former Colorado county elections clerk Tina Peters as the reason for not inviting Polis. For months, the president pressured Polis to grant pardon to Peters. serve a nine-year prison sentence accusations from multiple states of unauthorized access to voting machines.

And Mr. Trump called Moore “foul-mouthed” and claimed he was decked out by receiving military medals, but Moore said that “honest mistake“On applying for a White House scholarship in 2006. Since then Received Bronze Star for deployment to Afghanistan.

The president also criticized Stitt, calling him a “RINO,” or Republican in name only. Stitt had supported Mr. Trump’s former rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, during the 2024 Republican presidential primaries.

Moore called the decision not to invite him a “blatant example of disrespect and disdain for the spirit of bipartisan federal-state partnership.” statement made earlier this week.

A Police spokesman called it “a disappointing decision for a traditionally bipartisan event between governors and those occupying the White House.”

At last year’s conference, governors from both parties attended a White House meeting and dinner. The meeting highlighted a verbal spat between Mr. Trump and Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, in which the president pressured Mills about transgender women in sports, including Mills. replied: “See you in court.”

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