Democratic Governors Stand Together Against White House Dinner Invitations

Democratic governors are uniting in support of Colorado’s Jared Polis and Maryland’s Wes Moore after their invitations to a typically bipartisan dinner at the White House were withdrawn.

Among the boycotters is Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who announced he would “absolutely not attend a White House dinner with this president.” He added his solidarity with Governors Moore and Polis in opposing President Trump’s “corruption and hatred” and urged his Republican colleagues to follow suit.

This boycott is spearheaded by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, along with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the vice chair. Other governors joining this stance include California’s Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, and Minnesota’s Tim Walz. Together, a coalition of 18 governors released a statement accusing President Trump of disregarding state leaders, claiming he’s fostering “chaos and division.”

The White House response appears to indicate a change in approach, having previously invited Democratic and Republican governors to events. An official mentioned to Politico that while many Democrats received dinner invites, some did not.

This decision followed a contentious confrontation last February between President Trump and Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills regarding transgender participation in sports. Their argument, which was publicly aired, lasted for several weeks, highlighting the issues surrounding governmental mandates.

When asked about the situation, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt referred to her comments from a briefing, emphasizing the president’s authority to invite whomever he chooses, noting, “This is a White House dinner and it’s the people’s home. The president can invite anyone he wants.”

She added that Governor Moore had also been invited last year but chose not to attend, noting that “nobody reported on it.” Leavitt reiterated the president’s discretion regarding invitations, stating that not attending is “their loss.”

Moore, discussing the issue on CNN’s “State of the Union,” speculated that his race, as the only black governor in this group, might be affecting the decision to exclude him. He remarked that other Democratic governors have expressed support for him to lead and mentioned a recent delegation of governors he had led to the White House.

In response, Brandon Tatum, CEO of the National Governors Association, expressed disappointment with the administration’s actions. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, the current NGA chair, mentioned in a letter that the association “will no longer serve as a facilitator” for future events, emphasizing that the NGA represents all 50 states including U.S. territories.