NGA Boycotts White House Governors Events After Trump Excludes Maryland’s Moore and Colorado’s Polis
After the White House limited invitations to a Feb. 20 governors’ business meeting to Republicans — explicitly excluding Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis — the National Governors Association withdrew as the meeting’s facilitator, removed the event from its program, and 18 Democratic governors announced a boycott of White House events. The dispute prompted public attacks from President Trump on NGA chair Kevin Stitt, defenses from the White House, criticism from NGA leaders, and the administration proceeded to host a separate governors’ breakfast that some governors still plan to attend.
📌 Key Facts
- The National Governors Association (NGA) withdrew as facilitator and removed the Feb. 20 White House business meeting from its official program after the White House initially planned to invite only Republican governors, saying it will not 'facilitate' events that exclude any governors.
- Eighteen Democratic governors issued a joint statement saying they would boycott the traditional White House dinner; a majority of Democratic governors said they would boycott White House events after Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis were excluded.
- NGA chair Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt first notified governors that only Republicans were being invited; President Trump later posted that all governors were invited 'except' Moore and Polis, attacked Stitt on social media as a 'RINO,' and blamed him for miscommunicating the invite list.
- NGA CEO Brandon Tatum and Gov. Stitt criticized the White House move as a partisan break with a bipartisan tradition and said that, as of Tuesday evening, only Republican governors had formal White House invitations for the business meeting.
- Trump and the White House publicly defended the selective invites: Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president can invite 'whomever he wants' because it is 'the president’s home'; Trump cited Colorado’s refusal to grant clemency to former election clerk Tina Peters as a reason for excluding Polis and accused Moore of past misconduct and being 'not worthy.'
- Moore and Polis pushed back: Moore said the exclusion was a 'message of disrespect' and suggested race may be a factor; Polis and Moore emphasized bipartisan cooperation. Moore later received an invitation to the formal business meeting, Polis’s status for that invite remained unclear.
- Despite the NGA’s withdrawal, the White House proceeded with a working governors’ breakfast (scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET) and some governors attended White House events while others, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, publicly declined to attend; Gov. Stitt said he will still attend and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox criticized Trump for not trying to unify the country.
- Background context: Partisan tensions at last year’s governors’ conference — including a nationally televised clash between Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills — led some Democratic governors not to renew their NGA dues and contributed to rising strain within the association.
📰 Source Timeline (13)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 20, 2026
2:22 PM
WATCH LIVE: Trump hosts governors' breakfast after National Governors Association pulls out of event
New information:
- Confirms that despite the NGA’s withdrawal, Trump is still hosting a working governors’ breakfast at the White House on Friday at 9:30 a.m. EST.
- Adds on‑the‑record reactions from Gov. Jared Polis, who says he is still meeting with Republican and Democratic governors in Washington and emphasizes sharing 'best practices.'
- Includes additional comments from Gov. Wes Moore saying he does not seek a 'beef' with the president but views Trump’s late‑night attacks as sad, and from Utah GOP Gov. Spencer Cox acknowledging Trump is 'not putting his mind' to unifying the country.
1:48 PM
National Governors Association pulls out of White House events over exclusion of 2 Democrats
New information:
- Confirms that some U.S. governors are still visiting the White House for events with President Trump despite the NGA’s withdrawal as facilitator.
- Reiterates that the NGA has formally "pulled out" of the plans for these events over the exclusion of Democratic Governors Wes Moore and Jared Polis.
- Attributes on‑scene reporting to CBS News correspondent Hunter Woodall, indicating the current status of the visits and boycott.
February 19, 2026
10:00 PM
Governors group skips White House meeting after Trump refused to invite two Democrats
New information:
- The National Governors Association has decided to pull out of its traditional role in the annual White House governors meeting after Trump refused to invite Democratic Govs. Jared Polis and Wes Moore.
- Trump is still expected to meet with governors at the White House on Friday, but the session will not be held under NGA auspices.
- Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, publicly acknowledged that Trump is not trying to unify the country, saying the president has made clear that is not who he is.
- Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore used interviews during the NGA gathering in Washington to stress bipartisan cooperation among governors even as they are singled out by Trump.
- Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the NGA chair, reiterated his praise for Moore and said he will still attend White House events despite being attacked by Trump as a 'RINO' over the dispute.
February 12, 2026
5:18 PM
Trump attacked this GOP governor while claiming Democrats were always included in annual meeting
New information:
- Trump publicly called NGA chair and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt a 'RINO' and accused him of issuing a 'false' letter about the White House initially inviting only Republican governors.
- Stitt sent a follow‑up email to all governors saying Trump told him he is inviting 'all governors of the 55 states and territories' to the Feb. 20 business breakfast and that this was 'always his intention.'
- Trump simultaneously stated on social media that invites went to 'ALL Governors, other than two' he deems 'not worthy'—Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis—confirming their continued exclusion.
- NGA CEO Brandon Tatum reaffirmed that as of Tuesday evening only Republican governors had formal White House invitations for the business meeting, contradicting Trump’s claim that everyone was always invited.
- Some Democratic governors, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, said they will not attend the business meeting, while others like Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont indicated they plan to go despite the controversy.
February 11, 2026
11:12 PM
Trump says governors from both parties are invited to White House, except 2 Democrats
New information:
- After earlier signaling only GOP governors would be invited, Trump now says all governors are invited except Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, whom he calls 'not worthy' of attending.
- NGA chair and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told all 55 governors and territorial leaders in a written message that the Feb. 20 White House business meeting is open to both parties and that it is an NGA event Trump will host.
- Trump publicly undercut Stitt’s message on Truth Social, attacked him as a 'RINO,' and blamed him for allegedly miscommunicating the invite scope, while still insisting Moore and Polis are excluded.
- Trump cited Colorado’s refusal to grant clemency to convicted former election clerk Tina Peters as his reason for excluding Polis and labeled Moore 'foul mouthed' and accused him of embellishing military medals in the past.
- Moore nonetheless received an invitation on Wednesday to the formal business meeting; it is unclear if Polis received that specific invite, and NGA has not been updated regarding the separate Feb. 21 White House dinner.
12:30 PM
Pritzker joins chorus of Dem governors boycotting White House dinner after snub ignites 'chaos'
New information:
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker publicly declared he will not attend the White House dinner and explicitly tied his boycott to standing with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, from the podium, defended Trump’s decision by saying the White House is the president’s home and he can invite 'whomever he wants' and framed Democratic no‑shows as 'their loss.'
- Leavitt said Moore had been invited to last year’s dinner but did not attend, and reiterated that 'many Democrats were invited' this year while others were not.
- The piece notes last year’s nationally televised clash between Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills at a bipartisan governors’ session as part of the backdrop for this year’s narrowed invitation list.
- Moore suggested on CNN that it was 'not lost' on him that he is the only Black governor and that race might be a factor in his exclusion, which is now part of the public debate around the snub.
9:47 AM
Maryland's Democratic governor among those excluded from White House event
New information:
- Confirms that this year’s traditional White House meeting with governors will include only Republican governors; some Democratic governors, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, were explicitly disinvited from the formal dinner.
- Provides Wes Moore’s on‑record criticism that the exclusion sends a 'message of disrespect' and reflects Trump’s 'personal feelings of supremacy' and 'unstable' leadership.
- Includes White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s public defense that the White House is 'the president’s home' and he can invite 'whomever he wants' to dinners and events.
- Clarifies that the National Governors Association has stated it will not 'facilitate' events that do not include all governors, including the upcoming dinner.
7:18 AM
Annual governors' gathering with White House unraveling after Trump excludes Democrats
New information:
- Confirms that the White House plans to invite only Republican governors to the Feb. 20 NGA business meeting, according to NGA chair Gov. Kevin Stitt’s letter.
- Reports that 18 Democratic governors have jointly announced they will boycott the traditional White House dinner later this month if Democratic governors are excluded.
- Details that the NGA will no longer serve as facilitator for the White House meeting and has removed it from the official NGA program for the Feb. 19–21 gathering.
- Includes on‑record comments from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Trump can invite 'whomever he wants' because it is also 'the president’s home.'
- Adds public reaction from NGA CEO Brandon Tatum calling the administration’s move a partisan break with an 'important tradition,' and quotes Stitt urging governors not to 'respond in kind.'
February 10, 2026
10:08 PM
Democratic governors excluded from typically bipartisan White House gathering
New information:
- CBS confirms, citing a source familiar with planning, that President Trump deliberately chose not to invite any Democratic governors to the Feb. 20 formal business meeting with governors at the White House.
- The article names Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis as specifically excluded from the White House dinner, prompting a majority of Democratic governors to boycott all White House events.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly defends the invitation list as the president’s discretion and notes Moore was invited last year but did not attend.
7:42 PM
National Governors Association reportedly cancels meeting with Trump after White House snubs Democrats
New information:
- Fox article provides NGA CEO Brando Tatum’s full on-the-record statement criticizing the White House for disinviting individual governors and turning the session into a partisan event.
- It clarifies that the White House invited only Republican governors to the Feb. 20 meeting, which is why NGA withdrew as facilitator, framing this as a break with the 'bipartisan' tradition of these sessions.
- It lists by name the Democratic governors who signed the boycott statement and reproduces more of their language accusing Trump of 'creating chaos and division.'
7:09 PM
Annual governors' gathering with White House unraveling after Trump excludes Democrats
New information:
- Confirms that President Trump plans to invite only Republican governors to the Feb. 20 White House business meeting that has historically included governors of both parties.
- Reports that 18 Democratic governors issued a joint statement saying they will boycott the traditional White House dinner because not all governors are invited to the events.
- Details that NGA Chairman and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told colleagues in a letter that, because the White House intends to limit invitations to GOP governors only, the NGA will no longer serve as facilitator and has removed the meeting from its official program.
- Notes that partisan tensions at last year’s conference, including a public clash between Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills, led some Democratic governors not to renew their NGA dues.
5:40 PM
Governors won't hold meeting with Trump after White House only invited Republicans, Stitt says
New information:
- NGA Chair and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told governors in a Monday letter that because the White House plans to invite only Republican governors to the Feb. 20 meeting, the NGA will no longer serve as facilitator and has removed the event from its official program.
- Stitt emphasized that NGA’s mission is to represent all 55 governors and urged colleagues not to let "one divisive action" succeed in dividing them.
- The article notes that some Democratic governors already declined to renew their NGA dues last year after clashes with Trump at the 2025 White House session, contributing to rising partisan strain inside the association.
February 06, 2026