President Trump is set to host a White House breakfast for governors from both parties during the National Governors Association meeting in Washington, the NGA chairman said on Wednesday, though the president subsequently asserted that two Democratic governors would not be included.
Kevin Stitt, the chairman of the NGA and the Republican governor of Oklahoma, sent an email on Wednesday stating that the president intends to invite all governors to the February 20 breakfast. That communication came after the NGA canceled a previously scheduled White House meeting that had been called off amid reports the White House would exclude Democratic governors.
In his email, Stitt emphasized the president’s stated intent and moved to clarify a scheduling misunderstanding. He wrote: "He was very clear in his communications with me that this is a National Governors Association’s event, and he looks forward to hosting you and hearing from governors across the country." Stitt added, "President Trump said this was always his intention, and we have addressed the misunderstanding in scheduling."
Annual NGA meetings bring governors from across the United States to Washington. It has been customary for the sitting president to host a White House session during the gathering that typically includes briefings with cabinet secretaries and other administration officials, followed in the evening by a formal black-tie dinner for governors and their spouses.
Despite the NGA message, President Trump later stated on Wednesday that he had excluded two Democratic governors from the invitation list: Wes Moore of Maryland and Jared Polis of Colorado. In social media remarks, Trump accused Governor Moore of doing "a terrible job" rebuilding Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed in 2024 after a container ship struck one of its support pillars.
Regarding Governor Polis, the president cited Polis’ decision not to order the release of Tina Peters from custody as a reason for denying him an invitation. Peters, a former Colorado county clerk, was sentenced in October 2024 to nine years in prison after being convicted of tampering with voting machines following the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Trump said he considered both governors "not worthy" of attending the White House event. The White House did not reply to a request for clarification about the president’s comments.
Contextual note: The NGA chairman’s message and the president’s subsequent comments produced a conflicting public record about who would be invited to the White House gathering, leaving organizers and attendees with competing accounts of the invitation list ahead of the February 20 session.