What was once a routine symbol of American bipartisanship has turned into a high-profile standoff between Democratic governors, President Donald Trump, and the National Governors Association (NGA). The annual White House meeting with the nation’s governors, traditionally a venue for cross-party dialogue and cooperation, has become mired in controversy over who gets a seat at the table and what that says about the current state of federal-state relations.
The dispute erupted in early February 2026, just ahead of the NGA’s annual gathering in Washington, D.C., scheduled for the weekend of February 19–21. According to TIME, reports surfaced that President Trump planned to exclude two Democratic governors—Jared Polis of Colorado and Wes Moore of Maryland—from a White House dinner and the business meeting timed to the NGA event. The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) quickly denounced the move as a break from a long-standing bipartisan tradition, issuing a statement co-signed by 18 Democratic governors. “If the reports are true, that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year,” the DGA declared. The statement further accused Trump of “creating chaos and division.”
The list of signatories included prominent figures like Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Gavin Newsom of California, and JB Pritzker of Illinois—underscoring the breadth of Democratic discontent. “Democratic governors remain united and will never stop fighting to protect and make life better for people in our states,” the DGA statement read.
Governor Wes Moore, who also serves as the NGA’s vice chair and is the only Black governor in the nation, spoke out forcefully. In a statement released on February 9, he called the exclusion “a blatant disrespect and a snub to the spirit of bipartisan federal-state partnership.” Moore added, “As the nation’s only Black governor, I can’t ignore that being singled out for exclusion from this bipartisan tradition carries an added weight—whether that was the intent or not.”
The White House, for its part, defended the President’s prerogative. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, “It’s a dinner at the White House. It’s the people’s house, it’s also the President’s home, so he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here. He welcomes all those who received an invitation to come. And if they don’t want to, that’s their loss.”
Governor Polis’s office echoed a more pragmatic tone. “Governor Polis and other governors are focused on delivering results for our states, not playing games,” a spokesperson told TIME on February 12. In a similar vein, Shelby Wieman, another spokesperson for Polis, told NBC News, “It’s disappointing that states and the federal government working together to improve our lives has been resisted by this federal administration, but no matter what events Colorado is or isn’t invited to, Governor Polis will continue to focus on working with his fellow governors and anyone who wants to help make people’s lives better.”
Amidst the public back-and-forth, the NGA found itself in a difficult position. In a letter obtained by the Associated Press, NGA chair and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt confirmed that the White House intended to limit invitations to the February 20 business meeting to Republicans only. “Because NGA’s mission is to represent all 55 governors, the Association is no longer serving as the facilitator for that event, and it is no longer included in our official program,” Stitt wrote. Brandon Tatum, the NGA’s interim CEO, lamented the change, calling the meeting “an important tradition” and saying the organization was “disappointed in the Administration’s decision to make it a partisan occasion this year.”
Yet, the situation took another twist on February 11. President Trump posted on Truth Social, insisting that invitations “were sent to ALL governors” except Moore and Polis. He also lashed out at Stitt, calling him a “RINO” (Republican in name only) for allegedly misrepresenting the invitation situation. Trump wrote, “The Invitations were sent out to all other Governors, Democrat and Republican.”
This statement conflicted with earlier reports from the NGA, which maintained that only Republican governors had initially been invited. Shortly before Trump’s post, NGA leaders had said Stitt and the White House had agreed that all governors from both parties would be welcome, and that the misunderstanding had been addressed. “We’re pleased the president will welcome governors from all 55 states and territories to the White House. The bipartisan White House governors meeting is a valued tradition and an important opportunity to build bridges and hold constructive conversations,” Tatum said in a statement to NBC News.
In an email to fellow NGA governors, Stitt wrote that Trump was “inviting all governors” to the NGA Business Breakfast scheduled for the morning of February 20. He emphasized, “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. President Trump said this was always his intention, and we have addressed the misunderstanding in scheduling.”
Despite these assurances, questions lingered. A source familiar with the situation told NBC News that Moore had been invited to the business meeting prior to Trump’s Truth Social post, but did not clarify whether Moore would actually attend. Meanwhile, the fate of the traditionally bipartisan dinner, a separate event from the business meeting, remained unresolved as of February 11.
The confusion and shifting narratives only added to existing tensions within the NGA. Over the past year, several Democratic governors—most notably Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker—had pressed the organization to take a firmer stance against certain Trump administration actions. Both Newsom and Pritzker had previously threatened to leave the NGA after Trump deployed National Guard troops to their states without local approval.
As the dust settles, the episode has exposed deep fissures in what was once a reliable forum for bipartisan cooperation. The White House’s shifting explanations, the NGA’s attempts to preserve unity, and the Democratic governors’ collective protest all underscore just how fraught American state-federal relations have become in 2026. Whether the annual tradition can recover its spirit of collaboration remains an open question, but for now, the nation’s governors—and the public—are left to wonder whether the bridges built in years past can withstand the political storms of the present.