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By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies | Thursday, February 12, 2026
WASHINGTON – What was intended to be a bipartisan weekend of bridge-building at the National Governors Association (NGA) winter meeting has instead devolved into a high-stakes diplomatic standoff. On Thursday, a coalition of Democratic governors announced they will boycott the traditional White House dinner after President Trump explicitly barred two of their colleagues, Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado, from the guest list.
The feud, which has been simmering since early February, reached a boiling point Wednesday night when the President took to Truth Social to confirm the exclusion of the two leaders, whom he deemed “not worthy” of attending.
The “Worthiness” Test
The controversy began when reports surfaced that the White House had initially only sent invitations for the Friday business meeting to Republican governors. While NGA Chairman Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.) attempted to smooth over the “misunderstanding” by announcing that all governors would be welcome, the President quickly undercut that message.
“The invitations were sent to ALL Governors, other than two,” the President posted, specifically naming Moore and Polis. He added that while he looks forward to seeing Republican governors and “some” Democrats, he expects “most” of the latter will not show up.
The selection of Moore and Polis as the targets of the snub appears strategic. Governor Moore, the nation’s only Black governor and current NGA Vice Chair, has been a vocal critic of federal immigration surges, while Governor Polis, the group’s immediate past chair, has frequently clashed with the administration over federal land and energy policies.
A Unified Front
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) responded with a blistering statement, characterizing the move as an attempt to “create chaos and division” within a historically non-partisan tradition.
“If the reports are true, that not all governors are invited to these events… we will not be attending the White House dinner this year,” the DGA declared. As of Thursday afternoon, eighteen Democratic governors, including heavyweights like California’s Gavin Newsom and Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, have confirmed they will skip the gala in solidarity.
Governor Moore addressed the exclusion during a press conference in Annapolis. “As the nation’s only Black governor, I can’t ignore that being singled out for exclusion carries an added weight—whether that was the intent or not,” Moore said. “We are here to do the work of the people, not to play games with the ‘People’s House.’”
The White House Responds
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the President’s right to curate his own guest list, noting that the White House is both a public building and the President’s private residence.
“The President has the discretion to invite whomever he wants to dinners and events,” Leavitt told reporters. He welcomes all those who received an invitation to come. And if they don’t want to, that’s their loss.
The snub has put NGA Chairman Kevin Stitt in an increasingly awkward position. After Stitt attempted to broker a truce, the President publicly lashed out at him, calling the Oklahoma governor a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) for misrepresenting the invitation status.
Bipartisanship Under Fire
The fallout marks a significant decline in federal-state relations. Historically, the NGA meeting is one of the few occasions where leaders from both parties set aside ideological differences to discuss infrastructure, education, and public safety.
With many Democratic governors now opting to host their own counter-events in D.C. this weekend, the “working session” at the White House is expected to be a largely one-sided affair, further highlighting the deep political fissures defining the 2026 landscape.