Governors’ Meeting Fractures as Trump Excludes Democrats, Breaking Long Bipartisan Tradition

A decades-old bipartisan gathering of America’s governors is unraveling after the White House announced plans to exclude Democratic state leaders from traditional events during their upcoming Washington conference.

The National Governors Association (NGA) confirmed Tuesday it will no longer facilitate the annual meeting between governors and President Donald Trump later this month after learning the White House intended to invite only Republican governors to what has historically been an inclusive, non-partisan event.

In response, 18 Democratic governors announced they would boycott the traditional White House dinner scheduled during the conference, which runs February 19-21.

“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 Democratic governors stated in a joint announcement. “Democratic governors remain united and will never stop fighting to protect and make life better for people in our states.”

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, the Republican who currently chairs the NGA, informed fellow governors in a Monday letter that the White House’s decision to limit participation forced the organization to withdraw its involvement.

“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 in the letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The NGA has long served as one of the few remaining forums where political leaders from both major parties regularly convene to discuss pressing issues facing states across the country. The organization represents the governors of all 50 states, plus those of five U.S. territories.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the president’s decision on Tuesday, stating that Trump has “discretion to invite anyone he wants to the White House.”

“It’s the people’s house,” Leavitt said. “It’s also the president’s home, so he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here at the White House.”

Brandon Tatum, the NGA’s CEO, had previously described the White House meeting as an “important tradition” and expressed disappointment in “the administration’s decision to make it a partisan occasion this year.”

Despite the growing tensions, Stitt urged governors to remain focused on shared goals rather than partisan divisions.

“We cannot allow one divisive action to achieve its goal of dividing us,” he wrote. “The solution is not to respond in kind, but to rise above and to remain focused on our shared duty to the people we serve. America’s governors have always been models of pragmatic leadership, and that example is most important when Washington grows distracted by politics.”

Political observers note this breakdown follows visible tensions at last year’s White House gathering, when Trump and Maine’s Democratic Governor Janet Mills engaged in a heated exchange over transgender athletes in sports. During that confrontation, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from Maine if Mills didn’t comply with his policies, to which she responded, “We’ll see you in court.” Trump then predicted the end of Mills’ political career — she is now running for U.S. Senate.

That public confrontation reportedly had lasting effects on the NGA’s cohesion, with some Democratic governors subsequently withholding their membership dues from the organization.

The fracturing of this longstanding bipartisan tradition comes amid an increasingly polarized political landscape, where even formerly neutral governmental gatherings are becoming battlegrounds for partisan politics. Political analysts suggest this development may further reduce opportunities for cross-party dialogue at a time when cooperation between states and the federal government remains crucial for addressing national challenges.

The NGA’s winter meeting will still proceed with other scheduled events, though without the traditional White House components that have historically been central to the conference.