Republican President Donald Trump said he’s invited state governors of both parties — with two big Democratic exceptions — to a traditionally bipartisan gathering at the White House next week.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a vocal Trump critic, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis were left off the guest list for the conclave, which comes during a National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C. The White House session is slated for Feb. 20, NBC News reported.
The meeting became a source of conflict amid initial reports that Trump only intended to invite Republican governors to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the network reported.
In a post to Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon, Trump said that invitations to the meeting were “were sent to ALL governors” except Democratic Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado.
“The Invitations were sent out to all other Governors, Democrat and Republican,” he wrote. Trump also lashed out at Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, the chair of the NGA, over the dispute, calling him a “RINO,” or “Republican in name only.”
On Tuesday, a group of Democratic governors, including Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, said they intended to boycott the White House events if all the Democratic governors were not invited.
“Democratic governors have a long record of working across the aisle to deliver results and we remain committed to this effort. But it’s disappointing this administration doesn’t seem to share the same goal,” the Democratic governors said in a joint statement. “At every turn, President Trump is creating chaos and division, and it is the American people who are hurting as a result.”
A spokesperson for Healey did not immediately return a request for comment on her plans for the Washington meeting.
Citing a source, NBC News reported that Moore had been invited on Wednesday afternoon, before Trump’s Truth Social post. The source didn’t say whether Moore would attend, the network reported.
A spokesperson for Polis didn’t directly respond to questions from NBC News about whether the Colorado governor had received an invitation.
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